MANSFIELD, Ohio – The 179th Airlift Wing hosted the Northern 10 Athletic Conference for an N10 Leadership Event, Mansfield, Ohio, April 7, 2014. One hundred and sixty students with their coaches and counselors from Buckeye Central, Bucyrus, Carey, Colonel Crawford, Crestline, Mohawk, Ridgedale, Seneca East, Upper Sandusky, and Wynford held the leadership event, for the first time at an Air National Guard Installation.
Lt Col. Stephen Rhoades, Ohio Army National Guard, gave a speech on leadership qualities, offering his experiences in life and leadership in the service. Lt Col. Rhoades said “How have you chosen your student leaders thus far? Popularity? Athleticism?” Rhoades continued, “You’ll find that being a leader isn’t about those things. Any of you have the ability to lead, it starts with building confidence in yourself and in those you’re leading.”
The airmen of the 179th Airlift Wing provided stations for the student athletes to rotate through, each offering a unique opportunity. The aircrew offered a tour of the C-130H Hercules, seating them in the cargo net seating and giving a simulation of what paratroopers do when preparing for a jump. The disaster response force team allowed them to try on chemical warfare protective suits and proved the importance of teamwork when the suits need to be donned quickly. The honor guard gave a demonstration on proper flag etiquette and hands on training of folding the flag. The student flight instructors had the student athletes learn proper push up form and gave them a taste of what it’s like to be a trainee preparing for basic training. A panel of Airmen fielded questions and spoke of their experience in the Air National Guard and what it is like to deploy. The 200th REDHORSE set up a display of some of their heavy equipment and a deployed living quarters tent, giving them a chance to sit in the operators seat of the equipment and get a feel for living out of a mobility bag.
Master Sgt. Michael Schaefer, said “This was a great opportunity for the Air Guard to build relationships with educators and to help mold future (student) leaders in the community."
The 179th Airlift Wing and 200th REDHORSE Det. 1 teamed up to give the student athletes an experience many of them will never forget, and hopefully left them with a better understanding of how to lead by example.