The Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) competed in the second round of CyberPatriot, a national computer security event on November 15th. Students played the role of Informational Technology Security Specialist reacting to or preventing attacks on a business or government agency computer system.
The team of Cadets Captain Alex Wyman , Corporal Colin Catlin, and Lance Corporals Nate Heim, Coey Witmer, Ben Boyd and Mason Struppa competed in the first round last month, finishing ahead of 120 other schools. The team does need to improve in order to continue compete after the first elimination round on December 5th.
“We have made great strides since our first CyberPatriot team that competed last year,” said Master Sergeant Jeff Benak, the Marine Instructor. “The biggest reason for our improvement is our Faculty Advisor, Mr. Ralph Gee. He has provided the technical expertise that we cannot provide”
Gee, the Engineering and Technology Instructor at MCHS, said that “the cadets have really improved. This was our best round yet, with us being successful over 50 percent of the time in stopping the cyber attacks.”
Major Tom McGrath, the Senior Marine Instructor, commented on the endurance of the cadets. “Last night was our military ball, so these cadets did not get to bed until midnight at the earliest, and they are back at school by 8:00 am, ready to compete. This is in addition to the four ceremonies we did to support Veterans Day over the past week.”
The cadets will not have time to rest, as they prepare to host a military skills competition at Elston Middle School on November 22nd. Nine schools from Indiana and Illinois will compete in military drill, academics and physical fitness from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. The event is being sponsored by the Michiana Marines, the local chapter of the Marine Corps League. The meet is free and is open to the public.
