Photo By Kimberly Hackbarth | Cadets from Summit High School’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC)...... read more read more
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FORT HOOD, Texas – Soldiers of 4th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade hosted 46 cadets from Summit High School’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program Oct. 29, here.
The noncommissioned officer in charge of the visit, Sgt. 1st Class Rondell Clement, a Patriot launching station enhanced operator/maintainer with Battery B, 4th Bn., 5th ADA Regt., 69th ADA Bde., said he, the two NCOs escorting the cadets, and Soldiers of the brigade involved in the visit, played an important role.
“(We’re the) first impression of what Soldiers should be and how they conduct themselves,” he said. “We should set a good example, so they could have a good impression of what type of person joins the Army.”
Clement and two NCOs from 4th Bn., 5th ADA Regt., 69th ADA Bde., escorted the cadets, who travelled from Mansfield, Texas, to the 1st Cavalry Division Horse Cavalry Detachment, the 3rd Cavalry Museum and the Patriot Inn Dining Facility for lunch.
During lunch, the cadets ate with the battalion leadership for 4th Bn., 5th ADA Regt., 69th ADA Bde.
Wissam Sayhood, 17, said he enjoyed hearing the battalion command sergeant major, Command Sgt. Maj. Micheal Leach, talk about his history in ROTC.
“I heard the battalion command sergeant major talk about he got into the military and how he started off in ROTC,” Wissam said. “He was just like us in ROTC visiting a military base then he ended up going into the Army.”
For the final event of the day, the cadets fired simulated M4 carbines in the Engagement Skills Trainer (EST) 2000.
The EST 2000 is a weapons system trainer that allows participants to fire simulated weapons, including the M4 carbine, which the cadets took turns firing, at targets on a projected screen.
The visit helped cadets, including Sayhood, see military life more clearly, he said.
“This trip has impacted my impressions on how the military, even to this day, is still the guidelines and the one force that protects this nation,” Sayhood said. “I feel like this trip really made me see that the military is something that every citizen of the United States should appreciate.”
For David Lingle, 15, the opportunity to connect with Soldiers on Fort Hood provided more than a day of activities.
“I was able to make contact with a major who’s active duty here …and he gave me his e-mail address,” Lingle explained. “I was able to use that kind of as a mentorship to push me forward in my life.”
Inviting JROTC students and other civilians to visit the post is an important part of community outreach, said Clement.
“We do have a huge influence on the community and the young kids,” Clement explained. “I think it’s important for us to reach back and show them that we do care about their future and we hope to positively impact their future decisions of whether they want to join the military or not.”
The trip allowed Lingle to see first-hand what his future could be if he chose to join the military.
“I want to be able to experience and see how this environment is because I want to focus on a military career and I want to be able to see how it is before I leap into it,” he said.
At the end of the day, the Soldiers and cadets exchanged handshakes and thanks and the cadets left with a better understanding of the history and responsibilities of the military.
| Date Taken: | 10.29.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 11.02.2015 17:22 |
| Story ID: | 180683 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TX, US |
| Hometown: | MANSFIELD, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 50 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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