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Cadet Receives Meritorious Achievement Ribbon

Cadet Chief Elijah Berger receives the Meritorious Achievement Ribbon from Captain Michael A. Carambas
Cadet Chief Elijah Berger receives the Meritorious Achievement Ribbon from Captain Michael A. Carambas.

The Caney Creek High School Navy Junior ROTC (NJROTC) program took a moment at their Annual Military Inspection on Wednesday, February 8 to recognize one of their own. Cadet Chief Elijah Berger was presented the NJROTC Meritorious Achievement Ribbon at the event.

In his introduction, Lt. Cmdr. Louis Cortez, NJROTC teacher at Caney Creek High School (CCHS), shared that on Thursday, January 19, 2017, Cadet Berger was in the cafeteria at school when he noticed a fellow cadet pointing to her throat and whispering that she couldn’t breathe. Without hesitation, Berger dropped his backpack and performed the Heimlich maneuver dislodging the food item.

“Cadet Berger is in his second year of NJROTC. He is the assistant supply chief for his unit, the color guard JV commander, and the guide for the drill team. His professional performance is in keeping with the highest tradition of this unit. His outstanding achievement reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, his school, and the Navy’s Junior Reserve Officer’s Training Program,” stated Cortez.

Danielle Williams, a counselor at CCHS who observed the event, stated, “Without hesitation or delay, he stepped up and did what he had to do. I have never seen someone so young act so bravely and quickly.”

The Meritorious Achievement Ribbon is the highest honor the NJROTC can bestow upon a cadet and is awarded to any NJROTC cadet who distinguishes him/herself only by outstanding meritorious achievement or performance of a meritorious act.

Captain Michael A. Carambas, USN, Commanding Officer and Professor of Naval Science at Rice University, presented Berger with the NJROTC Meritorious Achievement Ribbon and certificate.