JROTC Teams

The Color Guard team is responsible for presenting both the nation and state flags in a variety of settings and ceremonies. It focuses on drill and ceremonies, proper wearing of the uniform as well as the proper ways to show respect to our nation’s flag. Color Guard is a competitive event.

Cadets compete in online “quiz bowl” competitions in both leadership and academic categories to help prepare them for college placement exams, with the chance to compete at the national level. The leadership category tests knowledge of the JROTC curriculum and English, math and science questions similar to the SAT/ACT. Both the SAT and ACT exams are options under our graduation requirement competency menu for the classes of 2021 and beyond. One of our JLAB teams competed in the 2018 JLAB Nationals in Washington, D.C., exposing students to the culture and history of our nation’s capital.

Cadets can compete in competitions such as CyberPatriot, a nationwide program where students learn about CyberSecurity. The program helps direct students toward careers in cybersecurity, technology and engineering. It puts teams in the position of newly-hired IT professionals tasked with managing the network of a small company. One of our DPS teams was ranked first in Colorado for the 2017-18 school year.

Air Rifle Marksmanship teams utilize air rifles to aim at paper targets on a 10-meter range closely supervised by certified instructors. Cadets learn the fundamentals of marksmanship and safety as part of a team. Most cadets compete in the Sporter Class but elite shooters may move to the Precision Class with advanced equipment. Excelling in the Precision Class opens up doors to scholarships at major universities. DPS teams compete in matches at the city, state, and national level. In 2017-18, several DPS teams competed at the national level in Utah and Ohio.

A military drill team is a marching unit that performs routines based on military drill. Teams compete in events such as Regulation Drill, Exhibition, Color Guard and Inspection. DPS has several of the strongest drill teams in the nation. One team finished second overall at the 2018 Golden Bear West Coast National Championship and another finished seventh in the All-Services Drill Nationals, the largest high school drill meet in the world.

Raider teams compete in intense competitions focused primarily on physical fitness. Typically consisting of six cadets, competitions test their strength, cardiovascular ability, teamwork and es sprit de corps. Events vary by competition but typically include a one-rope bridge crossing, pull ups, sit ups, team runs, orienteering, vehicle pulls and obstacle courses. The Raider program benefits every cadet from serious athletes to those simply looking to improve their level of physical fitness. DPS has some of the strongest Raider programs in the country, as the Brigade Team finished third at the 2018 Physical Fitness Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida.