Westlake High junior named Top Gun of national ROTC program

SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — A high school junior in South Fulton County has achieved a significant honor by being named the top cadet at an elite military flight academy.

Channel 2′s Berndt Petersen spoke with Cadet Lt. Colonel Lincoln Fletcher, a student at Westlake High School, who is making impressive strides in the Junior ROTC program.

When Lincoln Fletcher receives orders, he follows them diligently.

“I want to be great. Not for a specific position. But if I get a position while working to be great, then that’s how it is to me,” Fletcher said.

Fletcher, a member of Westlake High School’s Junior ROTC, recently returned from the National Flight Academy at the U.S. Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida.

Out of 200 of the best cadets, only one was named the Top Cadet, and that honor went to Fletcher.

“They were talking about the specific award. I was listening to it and said, ‘Wow. This person sounds tremendous. Good job to them.’ When they called my name, it was a shocker. I said, ‘Really?’” Fletcher recalled.

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Chief Warrant Officer Dana Strickland praised Fletcher for his representation of the program. Fletcher currently serves as the Battalion Commander over 468 cadets.

“He represents the program in the best way possible. That’s why he is the Battalion Commander of over 468 cadets,” Strickland said.

Fletcher received the promotion just a week ago, marking him as a top contender in the field.

“You’re like the Tom Cruise of this flight school?” Petersen asked.

“In a way,” Fletcher replied with a laugh.

Scholarship offers from the nation’s top military colleges are already coming in for Fletcher.

While he’s still deciding, his options include prestigious institutions like Morehouse and West Point.

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