She Knows This Drill

>>Roxy Hambleton was dropping her daughter off at Fort Myers High School last fall when she spotted the freshman drill team practicing. It took her back to her days at the University of Florida, when she was commander—the first female commander, in fact—of the Billy Mitchell Drill Team through the Air Force ROTC.

The Fort Myers High group had 1903 Springfield rifles, just like those her team had drilled with—tossing, catching and spinning the guns with precision and grace.

"They hand you this 10-pound weapon. I took weight training the next semester because it was very heavy for me," says the 5-foot-2-inch Hambleton. "Some drill teams have light weapons, more like props. I was very happy to see [the Fort Myers students] have these Springfields."

Hers was an award-winning team, beating even the hotshot U.S. Air Force Academy in her junior year. These high school newcomers, however, needed some help. Hambleton, a certified professional organizer and owner of Positively Organized, e-mailed an offer to help the instructor, who responded within an hour. "You’re an answer to my prayer," he told her.

"The two commanders are brand new, in their first year as ROTC instructors," she says. "They had this small group and have recruited their hearts out, but they don’t have experience with this particular weapon." Now, Hambleton volunteers a few hours each week as an advisor to the drill team.

"It’s a lot about military bearing. You learn so much about being a follower, and then go up in rank to be an officer," so it’s also about leadership building, she adds.

"These guys will eventually stand out." And she will have the satisfaction of knowing she helped them.