Saturday October 29, 2022 the Oak Ridge Drill Team competed in a meet hosted by Freedom High School in Morganton, NC. They competed against nineteen other schools consisting of Army, Navy and Marines JROTC programs. The team competed in 15 different categories with ten first place wins.

The team placement for the drill meet is as follows:

3rd Place - Armed Platoon exhibition Command by C/SGT Green

3rd Place – Color Guard commanded by C/SSG Hunt

2nd Place Armed Solo Exhibition – performed by C/SGT Green. He competed against Cadet (12th Grader) who is 7th in the Nation.

2nd Place Unarmed Platoon Inspection commanded by C/SGT Richter

2nd Place Armed Platoon Inspection commanded by C/2LTC Kelley

1st Place Armed Duet performed by C/SGT Green and C/SGT Triplett

1st Place Armed Squad Regulation commanded by C/2LT Kelley

1st Place Unarmed Squad Regulation commanded by C/SGT Richter

1st Place Armed Platoon Regulation commanded by C/PFC Andrew Corum

1st Place Unarmed Platoon Regulation commanded by C/SGT Triplett

1st Place Unarmed Platoon Exhibition commanded by C/SGT Richter

1st Place Unarmed Knockout won by C/PFC Roberts

1st Place Overall Unarmed Division

1st Place Overall Armed Division

1st Place Overall Drill Meet Competition

Unarmed Knockout

1SG McCullough always encourages the Drill Team to participate in the knockout drill just prior to the awards ceremony. It is an intense competition where the instructors are relentless in their attention to detail. Command instruction must to carried out with precision. First place went to C/PFC Roberts who is in his second year at ORMA.

Charles Hart Litaker, Jr.
October 2, 1934 - September 29, 2022
Charlotte, North Carolina -
Charles Hart Litaker, Jr. affectionately known as "Buster" to his grandchildren and many others, passed away peacefully at his home on September 29, 2022. He was born October 2, 1934 in Charlotte, NC, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Litaker Sr.
Charles was preceded in death by his son, Marshall and beloved wife, Joy. He is survived by six of his children; Linda Leopard (Ed), Charlie Litaker III, Lisa Hathcock (Todd), Hans Litaker (Lisa), Anna Reimers (Ryan), Sally Tanner (Henry), eleven grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and his dog, Elmo. Charles graduated from Oak Ridge Military School and attended Duke University. He then continued the legacy of his father's insurance agency, Litaker Insurance, with his brother Dan for over 50 years. He was well respected in the industry and served on numerous boards and committees.
Buster was passionate about family, friends and all things outdoors. From raising racoons, dogs, and other pets to building numerous tree houses, "big swings" and unique bird feeders, there was always a multitude of things for all to enjoy in his yard. He entertained his many grandchildren with backyard tractor rides, adventurous nature walks and afternoon swings in his hammock. He loved weekends at the river with friends and family, listening to music and floating in the water. Buster also enjoyed special times in the mountains with his wife, Joy and family trips to Litchfield Beach. He had a big heart and would surprise people with random acts of kindness.
A celebration of life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 8, 2022 at Myers Park United Methodist Church, Charlotte, NC. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the North Carolina Wildlife Foundation

Richard Phillips Obituary

Richard Phillips passed away peacefully on October 5, 2022 from congestive heart failure at the age of 66. His devoted wife of 44 years, Debbie, was by his side. He is survived by Debbie, his sons, Ryan (Stephanie), Justin (Adriana), and grandsons Dylan, Brentley, Lucan, and Everett. He is also survived by his sisters Margie Collins, Suzie Clinkscales, and several nieces and nephews. Rich was raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana, by his mother Barbara, along with three sisters and a brother. He enrolled in Oak Ridge Military Academy in North Carolina when he was 12. While there he was responsible for the morning bugle call, played soccer, and ran track and field. He spent nine years in the Navy as a Missile Technician (MT), serving at numerous duty stations including: Recruit Training Command in Orlando FL, USS JOHN MARSHALL (SSBN) in Pearl Harbor, HI and POLARIS Missile Facility, Atlantic in Charleston, SC. He met Debbie in Pearl Harbor when she was visiting his submarine, they quickly fell in love, and were married in 1978 in Honolulu, HI. Rich and Debbie raised their sons in Morgan Hill, CA. In 1989, Ryan and Justin showed an interest in Pop Warner Football, and for the next 27 years Rich was a staple in the organization, volunteering as a coach, Athletic Director and President. While President, he advocated for the construction of the Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Complex and in 2008, he was recognized as the Pacific Northwest Region Pop Warner Volunteer of the Year. He is remembered as being a positive role model, always looking out for the best interest of the players, and instilling leadership skills for multiple generations of Morgan Hill youth. Rich worked as a project manager in the low voltage contracting field for 40 years and was a member of the IBEW. He was fun loving, he enjoyed live music, science-fiction, long conversations, sushi, and authentic Louisiana Gumbo. He loved his family immensely and told them so at every opportunity.

Citadel Visit

The Drill Team as well as several staff members went to the Citadel in SC on October 14th and 15th. Every Friday the Corps at the Citadel has a parade which our Cadets got to watch. They toured campus and met up with a few former ORMA Cadets who are attending the Citadel. Parker, Harrison, and Green, wearing gray shirts, are shown above with the drill team. The Drill meet was held on Saturday and went well. ORMA walked away with a number of trophies in addition to 1st place overall. We are very proud of the entire team.

ORMA Needs

The link below is a wishlist for the teachers and staff. From school supplies to activities for the Cadets, this list is a collective group of needed items. If you would like to support the educators in bringing your Cadet a more well rounded learning experience, feel free to send any of these items to the school. Each donation is tax deductible as we are a 501c3 non-profit.

Robert Land Academy, Canada

Robert Land Academy is Canada’s only private Military Academy and is located in the Niagara region of Canada which is approximately a thirty minute drive from Niagara Falls. Robert Land Academy’s name sake, COL Robert Land, was a Canadian Officer serving in the British Army during the War of 1812. RLA incorporates the customs and traditions of the British and Canadian Military as part of their school traditions. Every Fall RLA conducts FALL EX. FALL EX is a 70 kilometer forced march conducted on the Bruce Trails in the Niagara Region of Canada. The entire RLA academy Cadet Corps, Facility, and Staff are required to participate in the march. ORMA is one of three American Military Academy’s invited to participate.

This march traces the path that the Canadian and British Army took during the American Invasion of Canada during the War of 1812 and the subsequent Battle of Queenston Heights. The first two days of the march the Canadian Cadets are broken into squads and the event is a competition. At the conclusion of the second day cadets are housed in the barracks space used by British and Canadian Forces during the war of 1812 at Fort George, a Canadian National Historic site.

On the final Day of the march the Canadian Cadets pull their school’s cannon (a replica cannon from the war of 1812) to Queenston Heights which is the location in which the Canadians repelled the American forces (Battle of Queenston Heights) and is also the location of a Canadian National Monument, Brock’s Monument as well as an American, British, and Canadian National Cemetery. Upon arrival at the heights the cannon is fired honoring the fallen of the battle as well as honoring the accomplishments of the cadets in finishing the FALL EX March.

Completion of FALL EX is a requirement for RLA recruits to become cadets. Upon completion the cadet is awarded the “BAKER BADGE.” The Baker Badge features a “Baker” rifle (which was used by British and Canadian Forces during the War of 1812) cast in gold on a red in color (Canadian Nation color) triangular background. The Baker Badge signifies that the wearer has been accepted as a member of Robert Land Academy. ORMA cadets finishing the march will be awarded a Baker Badge by RLA Academy Headmaster LTCOL Bowman. Few Americans have been awarded the Baker Badge and it is the only Foreign Military Device authorized on the Oak Ridge Military Academy Cadet uniform.

For most cadets and soldiers it is a rare event to participate in a foreign military training event which will make this a once in a lifetime experience for some of our cadets. We congratulate our Cadets Flores, Hunt, and Danieli and ORMA’s MSG Hengeveld for earning their Baker Badge.

STEAM lab opens

Academic Dean, Mrs. McKaughan, and IT/cybersecurity teacher, Brian Jones, recently returned from a trip to Chicago. They spent several days touring a facility that has implemented the lab ORMA is opening this academic year. They were trained to facilitate the peer-supported challenges each Cadet must work through.

Our Steam program will support the development of 21-century skills such as persistence, adaptive problem solving, and collaboration. This creates a learning enviroment where failure is accepted and persistence is celebrated. Challenges are centered around Cadet interests and intentionally connects engineering,design and technology laying the groundwork for college or career opportunities.