Cadet Lt. Cmdr. Zachary Boyd, of Northeast Lauderdale High School NJROTC, was one of 23 cadets from NJROTC Area 16 recently selected to participate in Tiger Cruise aboard the Navy’s newest amphibious dock transport ship, the USS Richard M. McCool Jr.

The McCool, the Navy’s newest and most technologically advanced warship, was built by Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula. The ship is scheduled to be commissioned this Saturday at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida. 

“Tiger Cruise is a Navy program that allows non-military members to experience daily operations aboard the ship while it’s at sea,” said retired Cmdr. Chad West, Northeast’s Navy JROTC senior naval science instructor. “This was a truly rare opportunity for NJROTC cadets as it allowed them to see firsthand the things they have learned in the classroom.” 

Northeast High School is one of 27 schools within the NJROTC Area 16 district, which covers portions of four states and extends from eastern Texas to the panhandle of Florida. Altogether, 20 of the area’s 27 schools were represented on the cruise, including Billie Pike, of Neshoba Central High School’s NJROTC program.

West said Boyd traveled to Florida Wed., Aug. 28, where he joined the NJROTC Area 16 manager and the other 22 cadets selected for the event. They boarded the ship in Panama City, Florida, on Thursday morning for an overnight cruise at sea before pulling into port at Naval Air Station Pensacola on Friday, he said. 

“We are extremely proud that he had the opportunity to represent Northeast at this event,” West said. “He plans to attend college and earn a commission as a naval officer after graduation.”

Boyd, who serves as Northeast’s cadet commanding officer, told Navy officials, “My favorite part of the cruise was meeting all of the outstanding officers and the amazing views.”

The highlight of the trip was the presentation of the Navy JROTC Sea-Cruise award to each cadet by the ship’s commanding officer and command master chief. Some of the cadets also received the Ship’s Challenge Coin or the Captain’s Challenge Coin. 

Named after U.S. Navy officer and Medal of Honor recipient Richard M. McCool Jr., the $1.4 billion ship is the Navy’s 13th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship. The 684-foot-long, 105-foot-wide ship is equipped with an advanced radar system, flight deck and well deck able to be flooded with water for boats to dock within the lower level of the ship. It will be used to transport and land Marines and their equipment and supplies ashore and will be capable of treating most medical needs in an onboard elaborate medical center.