Photo By Ana Henderson | ROTC Cadet Cullen Wilkes is studying Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Military...... read more read more
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Students who enlist in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) are committing themselves to full-time military service upon graduation.
Yet in the years before that they spend each semester and summer training for their future and learning about all aspects of the U.S. Army.
ROTC Cadet Cullen Wilkes spent three weeks at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) familiarizing himself with the test and evaluation process. The internship is an optional follow-on training after advance camp which he finished prior to arriving at YPG.
Wilkes was familiar with YPG’s mission and chose the installation because he’s studying Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Military and Science at the University of Alabama.
“There were few opportunities that had engineering involved. I had the opportunities to watch one of the videos and I saw a lot of explosions, tanks, Bradleys and various other artillery pieces and it caught my eye and I was looking forward to coming out here.”
Wilkes interned with the Combat and Automotive Systems Division (CASD) and the Bradley team lead, Julio Zambrano, served as his mentor. Zambrano has mentored cadets in the past and enjoys the process.
“When they come to YPG, they have no idea about everything that we do, and how. By the time their internship is over they go back with a bigger and better overview of what we do, and they go home and share that knowledge.”
Wilkes said he got a “crash course” on the Abrams, Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and artillery while visiting combat vehicle and ammunition test sites.
“I’ve gotten hands and eyes on equipment and had the opportunity to ask questions that most of my peers will take years to have the same opportunity to see all of it.”
Wilke said the internship will help him as he returns for his final year and focuses on his senior design project.
“I will have the difficult task among my team, of questioning every single thing that happens.” He adds, “Because of this experience, I will try to think of every possible way that it could fail so that we can work around it, make it better and make sure it does not fail in its environment.”
As a Soldier the internship had provided Wilkes with a newfound respect for the work that goes into providing the Warfighter with safe equipment. Which is YPG’s mission.
“It’s given me the opportunity to see what goes into the equipment that I will be using one day.” “I am grateful that the people here are passionate about what they do. I feel like I am in good hands.”
| Date Taken: | 09.07.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 09.07.2022 10:51 |
| Story ID: | 428677 |
| Location: | YUMA PROVING GROUND, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 105 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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