During March 24-27, 2026, select JROTC Cadets across Las Vegas high schools earned the opportunity to attend the JROTC Cadet Leadership Challenge (JCLC), hosted by Las Vegas High School in Fort Irwin, CA. Students experienced life on a real military base surrounded by soldiers and monuments. Sergeants and drill sergeants from the National Guard provided the Corps of Cadets a similar experience to real basic training, introducing them to skills necessary for military deployment.
Before reaching the camp, buses stopped at Fort Irwin Painted Rocks. The military landmark displays a variety of boulders, painted by different combat units. The oldest rock sits at the top, holding its place since 1996. This pit-stop introduced the Corps of Cadets to the importance of pride and tradition. The rocks represent the proud feeling of taking part of a combat unit and the ability to honor their duties.
Each day followed a regimented routine, beginning at 4 A.M. Students slept in rows of assigned bunk beds in barracks, responsible for waking each other up on time for formation at 5 A.M. Cadets lost access to their phones, so students arrived with alarm clocks or watches as the barracks would not provide the time or a wake-up call. Cadets woke up to the lights flickering on and the sound of shuffling, hurrying to get ready for the day.
Physical training (PT) occurred between formation and breakfast, led by Drill Sergeant Fabella. Each cadet followed a cadence and remained in sync with their peers while exercising. PT encourages Cadets to go above their limit of exertion and push themselves beyond their maximum effort. The compilation of stretches created the blood flow for the rest of the planned, exhausting day.
Cadets and instructors traveled to the Blackhorse Diner for breakfast and dinner each day, choosing from a variety of entrees and sides to fuel for the day. Alitzah Medrano (10) found that “the meals were filling and I was happy to see some of my favorite foods there.” Military personnel from around the base often chose this diner for their meals and shared the line with Cadets.
Drill Sergeant Fabella introduced cadets to land navigation, reading a map, creating coordinates, and reading a compass. The next afternoon, students used their new abilities in Fort Irwin’s Land Navigation Course. Cadets found the location of each point by utilizing a compass, a map, and information on the point’s coordinates, distance, and angle. Each group of students found a way to locate points based on given coordinates and distance using their pace count to mark every 100 meters. Cadets also learned practical skills, including transforming their uniform pants into a lifejacket, tying a tourniquet, and properly wrapping a bandage to stop mass bleeding.
At the end of every day, Cadets participated in exciting activities. A local arcade, Shockwave, gave students the opportunity for karaoke and arcade games after a tiring day of settling into their new environment. The Desert Winds Bowling Alley reserved lanes for Cadets to compete against each other and order food. On the day before departure, instructors rented the local movie theatre for an awards ceremony and the viewing of Dracula (2026) or Goat (2026).
After the long bus ride home, Cadets returning from the camp often praise their experience and journey to their parents and classmates. JCLC reached its main goal for each set of Cadets, to teach Cadets leadership skills to bring back to their peers and give students a chance to experience real military life in Fort Irwin.
