Mililani Trojan JROTC Cadets Taking A Bite Out Of Cybercrime

Mililani High School’s Army JROTC cadets take part in Cyber Patriot program. Photo courtesy Tim Schiller.

Cyber terrorists beware, the Trojans are watching.

Mililani High School’s Army JROTC cadets took third place in the seventh Cyber Patriot — the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition.

The high-tech challenge was established by the Air Force Association to combine STEM learning and promote future career opportunities in cybersecurity.

Students representing schools in the United States, Canada and from DoD schools abroad team up to resolve cybersecurity problems in simulated environments. Top teams from the preliminary online rounds win an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the live National Finals Competition, where students compete for national recognition and scholarships.

“The results were amazing,” said coach Tim Schiller, a retired Army lieutenant colonel. “The Trojan Battalion, which activated just two-and-a-half years ago, could not have done so well without the tremendous help of our school administration and our Navy mentors, specifically principal Fred Murphy and Lt. Nicolas Ward.”

Navy volunteers set up a training program twice a week at the school. Each program lasted two to three hours, with subject-matter experts instructing the students in several aspects of computer technology. The plan is for this year’s teams to reach out to Mililani Middle School to mentor future Cyber Patriot competitors. This was the first year Mililani fielded three teams of six cadets.

In all, 2,175 teams registered to compete in Cyber Patriot VII, including 35 teams from Hawaii.