East Georgia Chapter Honors AFJROTC Teacher of the Year

The East Georgia Chapter of the Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) recognized Master Sgt. Ed Berenguer, USAF (Ret.), of Brantley County High School, as its 2026 Teacher of the Year, during the school’s AFJROTC summer STEM camp on June 3.

AFA East Georgia Chapter President Laurie Orth traveled to Brantley County High School to present the award to Berenguer, who serves as one of two AFJROTC instructors for the program. Attending were current cadets, prospective cadets, upperclassmen leaders, faculty members, and school administrators.

The STEM camp featured a wide range of team-building experiences, including Estes rocket building, quadcopter flight training, and marksmanship. Older cadets played an important leadership role throughout the day, helping younger students complete activities and build confidence.

One of the highlights was the launching of the Estes rockets, with upperclassmen guiding younger cadets through the final assembly of the rockets and their motors. Students also launched vinegar and baking soda powered rockets and used AltiTraks devices to measure the apogee of their launches.

Later, the group moved to the football field for several launches of their Estes rockets. Most of the rockets launched successfully, though one vehicle experienced a propulsion anomaly resulting in a failure to achieve nominal thrust.

While the rocket launches were underway, another group of cadets worked with prospective students on a quadcopter drone. The students launched the drone with a mounted camera to capture aerial footage of the launches.

“Watching all of you students do STEM activities brings a lot of fulfillment to me,” Berenguer said. “It’s because of all of you that this is possible. You’re so receptive, you welcome this, and you want to be part of it. That makes it so much easier for me to teach all of this. So I thank you, because this is our recognition and our award—it’s not mine.”

Brantley County High School’s AFJROTC program, known as Georgia-20066 Fightin’ Herons, is among the top JROTC units in the world and has consistently earned the Air Force JROTC Distinguished Unit Award. The program focuses on building character, leadership, and community service through activities such as drone operations, rocketry, flight simulation, and participation in the school’s award-winning Heron Rifles Silent Drill Team. Its elite silent drill and colorguard teams regularly represent the school at civic, state, and parade events. 

Berenguer was nominated for the AFA Teacher of the Year award by Col. Rick Chapman, USAF (Ret.), Senior Aerospace Science Instructor at Brantley County High School. In nominating Berenguer, Chapman wrote: “Sergeant Berenguer immediately improved the depth and quality of the drone/UAS [Unmanned Aircraft System] and rocketry programs both in the classroom and as an after-school club activity at BCHS,” Chapman added. “He has increased enrollment of 8th grade AFJROTC cadets by more than 50 percent and increased retention rates of current cadets by an additional 20 percent. He continuously broadens the career horizons of our students in this Title 1 school demographic, and often shifts their post-graduation vectors to STEM and trades careers.”

During his service in the Air Force, Berenguer was an Aviation Resource Management Specialist and a Recruiter. He has since served as an AFJROTC instructor at schools in Puerto Rico, Texas, and Georgia.

Berenguer’s recognition came during a difficult season for Brantley County. In late April, wildfires in South Georgia forced the school to close for two weeks and displaced many local families. The June 3 camp and Berenguer’s award presentation were a welcome return for the school community.