On April 18, 2026, Paint Branch’s NJROTC cadets had their third field trip of the year as they visited the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda.
Cadets met at Paint Branch at 6:00 am to be ready for the 7:00 am bus departure, though the actual departure time turned out to be 7:15 am because the bus was late. After arriving at the university at around 8:00 am, the cadets sat down for a quick lecture on how to react in a dangerous situation. After the lecture, the cadets learned a life-saving procedure called MARCH, which stands for massive bleeding, airway, respiratory, circulation, and hypothermia. Nine instructors went over each section of the lecture. Then, cadets were broken into groups of five for skill stations. Each station is assigned to one part of the MARCH procedure.
The stations were exciting and fun as we got to replicate real-life situations. For example, at the station where we learned how to use tourniquets, cadets in one group partnered up with one person pretending to be in need, while the other wrapped a tourniquet around their arm or leg. Even though I was grouped with cadets I hadn’t yet met, we got along wonderfully and completed each station with ease.
After the skill stations, Captain Shin broke us into groups of five for a competition based on the skills we learned on a mannequin. For this competition, cadets went outside into the field while the nine instructors demonstrated how the cadets would perform the competition. It was very hot outside as it was 88 degrees, which fit well for the contest. The contest was a high-pressure, stressful environment as cad
ets struggled to wrap tourniquets and pressure bandages on the mannequins as quickly as they could and run to the finish line. Although my team got last place, we all agreed that we had a blast. The top-performing teams won medals for their uniforms.
When the competition was over, cadets sat under a tree with a good amount of space for shade, socializing while cooling off from the intense competition for a good five minutes. Next, we headed back to the building and headed to one of the classrooms. There the cadets sat down, and the nine instructors took turns telling us about themselves, what year they graduated from high school, and why they chose USU. They were all young, with each noting that they graduated from high school between 2022-2024. They told us some fun facts about the school, including that the school has a real hospital with actual patients, and that if anything were to happen to the president, the president would go to the hospital at USU. The instructors highly encouraged cadets to consider this school if any of us were interested in going into the medical field because attending this school is free, and on top of that, you get paid as well. They did note that all of this comes with a price tag; you must serve in the military after graduating.
As the field trip came to an end, everyone gathered outside for a group photo. We took a serious picture first, then a whole bunch of silly pictures. After the trip, Captain Shin said that he hopes that “Cadets gained knowledge about medical treatments, the medical field, and also more information on the military’s medical career field, while having an engaging time.” He added that “This trip first became an annual tradition in 2023, which is currently continuing as we have plans to return next year.”
Cadets hopped back on the bus at around 1:10 pm to head to Dave’s Hot Chicken for lunch, which was part of the trip’s ten-dollar cost. Cadets came back to Paint Branch at around 2:30 pm and hung out in the NJROTC classroom as they waited to return home.
