On the right shoulder of his uniform, Cadet Lieutenant Philip Brown proudly wears a silver aiguillette, a braided cord that sets him apart as one of the leaders of the Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) at Gainesville High School.

Brown, a senior at GHS, earned the aiguillette at a statewide leadership academy held for top high school ROTC students from throughout Florida. It’s just one of the many distinctions that he has earned in his four years both as an NJROTC cadet and as a high school student.

“He’s done a really good job as a leader here at GHS,” said Captain Allen Prescott, who is the senior naval science instructor at the school. “He has a lot of credibility with the other cadets. They don’t give him any guff, he’s definitely in charge.”

“I’ve learned a lot of leadership skills here, and I know I can use those in a lot of ways,” said Brown. “I want to be a driving force in whatever job or task I try to accomplish.”

Brown has excellent academic and leadership credentials, both in and out of NJROTC. His high grade point average puts him among the top students academically at the school, and he has a perfect 4.0 GPA in all his naval science courses. He’s served as the president of Mu Alpha Theta, the math honor society, and the Junior Engineering and Technical Society. As the unit supply officer for the NJROTC program, he’s responsible for $150-200 thousand dollars worth of uniform and equipment belonging to the United States Navy. He also runs his platoon, which is made up of all the cadets in his class.

Prescott says that part of Brown’s skill as a leader is his ability to make those cadets under his command work together effectively.

“He develops his folks, he makes them function as a team,” said Captain Prescott. “That’s what we’re looking for and that’s the kind of thing that civilian employers are looking for as well.”

“Teamwork is essential for leaders,” said Brown. “Teamwork makes the difference between an unorganized rabble and a well-oiled unit doing its job well.”

As a result of his accomplishments, Brown was recently named one of five students selected for the Joseph C. Gilliam Academic Achievement Award for NJROTC Area Seven, which covers most of Florida. To earn the award, cadets must have outstanding academic and leadership records. They must also produce an essay on ‘effective student leadership.’

“Cadet Brown has distinguished himself among the 9000 NJROTC cadets in the state of Florida,” wrote Commander Dirk Hebert, NJROTC Area Seven Manager, in his letter of congratulations. “He is to be commended and should be very proud of his incredible resume.