he infantry drill was originally used to help military units avoid confusion as they moved between battlefields.

But for cadets in the JROTC program at Panther Valley High School, drilling can help build leadership and other qualities."It helps teamwork, camaraderie, a sense of being a part of something," retired Maj. Gerald New, the program's instructor, said.It also gives them the opportunity, a few times a year, to compete for bragging rights against other JROTC programs.JROTC, short for Junior Officer Reserve Training Corps, allows high school students to learn leadership skills from retired military personnel in their school.Panther Valley's JROTC program hosted a drill competition on Tuesday, bringing in three other programs from Schuylkill, Berks and Northumberland counties.The competition required cadets to move in formation around the gym in three separate disciplines, led by a student-officer.Cadets and active duty commanders from Lehigh University's ROTC program judged them as they went through three carefully choreographed routines.Panther Valley's JROTC program is an important part of daily life. More than 100 of the school's 400-plus students participate.Of that, about 30 are on the drill team. All preparation is handled by the cadets themselves. New says he is there to sign off on their plans for training, and provide observation. Sarah Markovich, a sophomore who leads the drill team and is the logistical head of Panther Valley's unit, said that students have to become a team to be successful."Most of these kids have barely even talked to each other before this," she said. "Now they have to move together. They become a family."Drill combines athletics, rhythm and overall discipline. For cadets, it is basically like another sport or after-school activity. Students who don't maintain their grades can't compete. There are many hours spent after school drilling. Like any sport or performance, students feel stress leading up to it."There is some stress before, but they are fine as we're doing (the drill)," said Kenzie Lazar, Panther Valley's battalion commander.Panther Valley finished second out of four teams at Tuesday's competition. It sets the cadets up well as they go into their regional competition early next year, where they'll be judged by soldiers from Fort Dix in New Jersey.The units also compete in other disciplines. They have an online academic competition, a one-rope bridge building competition, and the "raider team" competition, including outdoors skills like orienteering and first aid.The hope, according to New, is that the discipline of drilling will help them when they move on from Panther Valley, whether they choose a military career or not. New said about 10-15 percent of the students in the program go into the military, but the rest find other paths."I tell them, 'The stuff you learn here transcends this room,' " he said. "Whatever you want to do, you'll find these principles in any organization."