The headquarters of the U.S. Air Force Junior ROTC announced recently that Effingham County High School, Unit GA-938, has been awarded the Air Force Junior ROTC Distinguished Unit Award (DUA) for school year 2015-16. This marks the sixth consecutive year the corps of cadets at ECHS has earned the DUA, and the tenth time in the last 12 years.

The 150 cadets at ECHS earned the inspection rating and award under the leadership of the two corps commanders, cadet Cols. Anslee Sewell (first semester) and Alyssa Livingston (second semester).

During the school year cadets accumulated over 1,800 community service hours. Community service included color guards and saber teams at various events and ceremonies, as well as participation in four area parades They also held their annual Dining-Out, Military Ball, and an end-of-the-year Awards and Decorations ceremony. Field trips included a C-130 aircraft orientation flight, and tours of the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown in Charleston, S.C., Robins Air Force Base and Museum, and the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum. Academic and uniform inspection goals were tracked during the year and accomplished. The corps also planned and organized two blood drives at the school, netting almost 150 pints of blood.

The Distinguished Unit Award is limited to the best of the best of the more than 1,000 Air Force JROTC units worldwide.