On November 18, 2021, the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon performed at the Decatur High School stadium. A DHS alumnus, Captain Isaac Seals V is the leader of the platoon, which is a subdivision of soldiers. The unit executes it’s drill sequence without verbal command.

After graduating from DHS in 2010, Seals attended the United States Naval Academy in Maryland. In order to be admitted to the Academy, students are required to receive a nomination from a politician. “I received my nomination from the late congressman, John Lewis. I chose to go and be a Marine Corps Ground Officer to be around Marines and be able to lead them as well…” said Seals.

Now, Captain Seals and his platoon of infantry marines tour the country. Performing everywhere from NFL halftime shows to presentations for foreign dignitaries. “We’ve gone to Hawaii to support the bases out there… to Cherokee Indians in North Carolina…Anyone who wants us can request us.”

Colonel Johnny Richards, one of Decatur High school’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) teachers, taught Captain Seals while he was a student here. Since the Platoon was scheduled to perform at the Falcons v Patriots game, Colonel Richards asked if Captain Seals and his Platoon would be willing to perform for our students and community.

“I think they would see a student from Decatur High School who graduated Decatur High School and was able to go out in the world and do good things and we have quite a few students who do that.” says Colonel Richards.

Not only was Capt. Seals a part of the JROTC while at Decatur, he was also a star lacrosse and football player, which helped spark his interest in joining the marine corps. “So I knew what my skills were. I played lacrosse and football at Decatur High School. Obviously the skill set was something physical. I was the first team All-state for lacrosse and defense man back here in the day” says Seals.

That type of athletic ability is very important to becoming a marine in Captain Seals Platoon. The training to be in the Marine Corps silent drill platoon consists of going through the silent drill selection course, which is 340 hours of straight drill over the course of two months. If the marine is selected they spend a month and a half at Northern Arizona University, Arizona to prepare as a platoon. There are eight different drill manuals to learn excluding spins with the M-one rifle that can weigh an excess of ten and a half pounds.  “It probably takes around 4 months of day in and day out of straight drill to prepare to do a show…You never stop being ready. It never stops” says Captain Seals.

But, according to Seals, the most grueling part of being a Marine is the physiological aspect. “The biggest struggle we have, the hardest thing we do, is staying accountable for ourselves because it’s easy day in

and day out to stop. It’s easy to not go forward. It’s easy to give up on certain things and cut corners but this platoon isn’t about to do that because of what we represent. Our motto is ‘remember what you represent.’” says Captain Seals.