FORT STEWART, Ga. – Students of Savannah High School’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Core program visited important Fort Stewart sites accompanied by soldiers of 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, 13 Feb.
The students, who are enrolled in the high school’s Army JROTC Program, were given a glimpse into the daily lives of Dogface soldiers.
“About 40 students from Savannah came out this morning,” Capt. Jeffrey Wright, the home detachment commander for 1-9 FA and a native of Arizona City, Ariz., said. “Basically, we are representing 1-9 FA, 2nd BCT, and 3rd ID to these young students who are curious about the military, and who could potentially be future soldiers or ffficers or NCOs in our Army.”
“We are just trying to provide a good example and talk a little bit today about what we do on a day to day basis in terms of our operations as a field artillery battalion,” Capt. Wright said.
It is important to reach out to our community and our young civilians and show them what the Army does so that they may make informed decisions when it comes to joining a military service, said Capt. Wright.
The tour included stops around Fort Stewart such as the Warriors Walk, the 3rd Infantry Division’s “Marne” Museum. The tour also included lunch at the Spartan Dining Facility. The meal was intended to give the students some time to speak with soldiers about why they joined the Army.
Brean’a Simmons, a Student at Savannah High School and a Cadet of the JROTC program, was very excited to be a part of the day’s tour.
“We are learning about different sections of what you do and how much it takes to be in the Army,” said Cadet Simmons.
Another site that the students visited was 1-9 FA’s motor pool. The students were given a tour of the facility and shown the different vehicles and weapons that the battalion uses during their wartime mission.
“I believe that it’s important for civilians and our young civilians to understand that when they make a choice and they decide to join their military, whether it be Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines, that they understand what they are getting in to,” said Capt. Wright.
An endeavor, that seems to have been successful with Brean’a Simmons.
“Well, I really want to join the navy, but most field trips we go on are slowly changing my mind towards the Army,” said Cadet Simmons.