Royall retires after 20 years of JROTC service

On the field, the court, or in the hallways, Sergeant Major Royall made himself known at Tunstall High School as the JROTC instructor with the loud voice and trophy after trophy to show off his cadets’ hard work. 

The drill trophies and awards were less about the accolades and more about what Royall felt that it taught his students. “The thing I liked the most is taking kids that were separate when they arrive, and then seeing them become a unit or group…You make them realize that what you do affects someone behind or beside you….Everyone must do their part.”

One of Royall’s go-to statements as an instructor was “You can’t spell success without ‘u’.”

With obvious emotion, Royall recalled one of the most memorable activities during his time at Tunstall. This was a coordinated event between the local JROTC groups and the Danville Department of Social Services. The cadets partnered with them to collect toys and donations outside of Walmart to allow local children to have Christmas. He would ask his cadets “Hey guys, you are going to have Christmas. What about those who won’t? You will never know how many kids were able to have Christmas because you gave up a little of your time.” 

Royall taught JROTC for a total of 20 years including the last 12 at Tunstall. Most of his life has been dedicated to the military. He started in the military at age 18 joining right out of high school. He was supposed to be deployed to Vietnam, but the Army had other plans for Royall and sent him to Texas.

Royall eventually served as a drill sergeant “training soldiers how to be soldiers.” He served 21 years as Army active duty. This makes for a total of over 40 years of wearing a uniform. 

Royall feels that JROTC is more than just kids wanting to be in the military. It’s more about helping kids have a hobby that they can learn from. They teach them skills including how to help the community and leadership skills. 

One of his wishes for the program is a wish that he has for the nation as a whole. “I hope we don’t grow too far from what that flag represents,” said Sgt Royall. 

Since his retirement in December, he has picked up a few hobbies. His favorites are fishing and spending time with his family. This summer he’s planning on going to Florida to see his grandkids.