THREE high school students, who won the Jamaica Defence Force’s (JDF’s) website Quiz-a-Thon competition, became soldiers for a day recently, participating in a range of military activities including – you guessed it – firing a rifle.

The winners – Everton Clarke, 16, of Muschett Comprehensive High School in Trelawny; David Foote, 16, of St Catherine High School; and Yannick Morgan, 15, of Meadowbrook High School – all got to meet JDF boss Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, before starting the day’s activities.

Apart from participating in the various military activities, which also included a run at the assault course, the young “soldiers” were given a tour of the JDF’s Up Park Camp headquarters before hitting the firing range. The activities, which started at 9:15 am, concluded late afternoon, with a tour of the JDF Coast Guard’s boats in Port Royal.

“It has been informative and an adventure for me,” Clarke said. “It’s been a wonderful event so far. I think more students should enter the quiz, especially those who are interested in joining the army.”

Clarke and Foote – a member of the Cadet Force and Drum Major of his school band – expressed a desire to join the army, after finishing school.

Morgan, also a Cadet, noted his enjoyment of the activities, but said he did not wish to join the military because “the training is too hard”.

The Quiz-a-Thon competition was established to educate the public and increase awareness about the JDF, through its website, www.jdfmil.org, which is heavily targeted at students. Participants in the Quiz-a-Thon are required to answer correctly questions about the JDF, which are posted on the site.