The RI 81st AFJROTC Falcon Drill Team came to be when, during his first year
as an Instructor at Coventry High School, MSgt Richard Lebel packed up his
RV and took the unit’s Color Guard to Baltimore to observe a JROTC military
drill and ceremony competition at the American Legion Convention. The
experience motivated the Cadets to develop their skills and prepare for
competitive drill. In the early 1990s the Falcon Drill Team competed at various
venues on the east coast including the prestigious Randolph-Macon Military
Academy drill competition in Virginia. As the only civilian school at the event,
the Falcons surprised their rivals when they placed first in color guard and
regulation drill. Encouraged by the team’s regional successes, MSgt Lebel
entered the Unarmed Color Guard and Armed Color Guard in the 1993 JROTC
All Service Nationals Competition in Daytona Beach Florida. The Unarmed
Color Guard was awarded first place and Armed Color Guard came in second.
For more than twenty-five years the Falcon Drill Team Color Guards continued
to earn National distinction.

In the early years, the Falcon Drill Team joined a regional JROTC drill league
and later went on to be one of the charter member teams for the Southern New
England Drill League. As the team expanded to include different aspects of drill
and ceremony, MSgt Lebel drew coaching talent from his military affiliations
and acquaintances. SFC Jim Potris, MSgt William Dudley, MSgt Marc Boulay
and Ms. Gina Studley utilized their specific talents to focus on coaching the
Cadets in developing discipline, confidence, and teamwork to improve their
competitive skills. The Falcon Drill Team was awarded first place trophies and
Overall Championships numerous times in regional competition and again
earning the SNEDL Overall Armed Division Championship Trophy in their final
2015-2016 season. In 2002, the Team traveled to Washington, D.C. to compete
at the newly inaugurated Air Force JROTC Nationals. The Falcon Drill Team
earned several first place trophies and scored the most overall points to be
awarded the Armed Division Championship that year. The RI 81st AFJROTC
Falcon Drill team then went on to earn the overall Armed Division
Championship at the Air Force Nationals again in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008
and 2009. In 2002, the Falcon Drill Team was also recognized with the All Service
JROTC Nationals Team Spirit Award in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The Falcon Drill Team’s reputation as a premier drill and ceremony team
continues to be nationally recognized. In 2015 MSgt Richard Lebel was inducted
into the National Military Drill Hall of Fame, honored for his dedication to the
Coventry AFJROTC program and to JROTC Drill and Ceremony. As part of his
induction, he shared that “Drill was the best way to give our kids a sense of team
work, responsibility and leadership”. Probably the most recognized and memorable
element of the Falcon Drill Team was the “Honor Table”, a ceremony honoring
fallen and missing military service members. Shortly after the drill team had been
established MSgt Lebel choreographed the “Honor Table” which then became a
pivotal part of most every JROTC event. Soon requests for the “Honor Table”
were pouring in from Veterans organizations and other groups throughout the
State. Over the years the Coventry High School RI 81st AFJROTC Falcon Drill
Team Cadets proudly performed the Honor Table Ceremony at numerous notable
events including Command Officer’s retirements, the Rhode Island Veterans’
Hospital, VFW Conventions, the Rhode Island State House and the Coventry High
School graduation ceremony.