The Lakeview Center was a sea of army green as Dawson County High School JROTC cadets gathered in formal dress for the third annual JROTC Military Ball.

The March 23 event saw a turnout of more than 150 people, including cadets, students, parents and faculty.

According to Col. Johnnie Sweatte, Senior Army Instructor for the Dawson County High School JROTC, the cadets began planning for the ball in August.

"The cadets do fundraisers to pay for the event," Col. Sweatte said. "The cadet staff handles the planning completely and executes the event."

This year, Cadet Lt. Lauren Dare was selected to be in charge of the planning.

"Cadet Lt. Dare was selected as the commander of the JROTC Tiger Battalion as a result of promotion boards that took place last year," Sweatte said. "Her selection is based on the promotion board results, her academics and whole person score."

On top of organizing the big event, cadets are required to learn how to behave properly for the ball. According to Sweatte, the cadets take two classes in proper etiquette, one taught by the Cadet Chain of Command and one by an instructor.

"The Cadets are extremely receptive to the training and they demonstrated their knowledge during the ball," he said. "They were very impressive."

The entire evening was a presentation of military protocol and formality, with the flags being presented by the color guard, a dedication to POW's / MIA's conducted, a "Grog" ceremony -honoring the unit's history - held, graduating seniors honored with a Saber Arch and the ball's third year recognized by a cake ceremony.

"The ball was a huge success. The Cadets did a great job and should be extremely proud of their efforts," Sweatte said. "SFC [Steve] Pamplin and I are very proud of them."