The SLS camp is offered to Junior ROTC programs in high schools across the country and is designed to educate and instill a sense of responsibility, self-discipline, and citizenship and promote community service in the cadets. More than 1,000 retired U.S. Air Force instructors accomplish this through classroom education and hands-on learning experiences.
“We want them, by the end of this week, to have a sense of what being a leader is really about,” said retired U.S. Air Force Col. Ken Rodriguez, director of SLS. “The leadership we’re looking for is a selfless individual that has the ability to put the mission and his, or her, teammates first—that they can serve something greater than themselves.”
Cadets attended classes at the Airman Leadership School, participated in physical training sessions with the Special Tactics Training Squadron and received numerous hands-on learning experiences. Cadets also participated in leadership and team-building exercises to include a leadership reaction course with the STTS, self-aid buddy care, and land and water survival training.
The week wasn’t all work and no play for the cadets. They rappelled off a 40-foot tower, rode on combat rubber raiding crafts and flew on a C-145 Wolfhound from Duke Field, Florida.
“By the time you get to be fairly old like myself, it takes a near-death experience to change you in any way,” Rodriguez said. “But as a high school kid in their teens, a five-day, four-night intensive program like we have here, can change your life—and it does.”
Teamwork is an important concept for these cadets to learn as they spent the week with both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy Junior ROTCs, which can come with typical sibling rivalries between military branches.
“I really like the whole team environment,” said U.S. Air Force Junior ROTC cadet Gracie Osburn, a sophomore at Pensacola High School. “We were all strangers at first, but we eventually started working together. At the end of the day, we’re a huge team.”
To facilitate a friendly competition, cadets were split into four flights who had to earn points for how quickly and well they completed exercises. They were also randomly quizzed on leadership skills gained throughout the course. At the end of the week, cadets attended a graduation ceremony where they received a certificate of completion. The winning flight was recognized and coined.
“It’s a real privilege because you get to see such a change and impact on these young leaders who we know are going to go on to do great things in their community, in their schools and for the nation,” Rodriguez said. “Many of them will join the U.S. military, but even those that don’t, we believe this will help them become better citizens, better leaders and better individuals.”
| Date Taken: | 07.12.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 07.12.2018 15:48 |
| Story ID: | 284007 |
| Location: | HURLBURT FIELD, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 76 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, JROTC cadets experience Team Hurlburt during Summer Leadership School, by SSgt Rachel Williams, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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