Photo By Sgt. Nicholas Holmes | A student from Ralph Chandler Middle School visits Warrior’s Walk during a tour led...... read more read more
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FORT STEWART, Ga. - Soldiers with Company C, 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division welcomed Ralph Chandler Middle School students to Fort Stewart, Georgia, May 11, for a tour of the installation.
“Interactions like these between Soldiers and students offer a unique perspective into the Soldiers’ lives,” said Cpt. Veronica Kyle, commander of Co. C. “The expectation for this tour is you increase the students’ understanding and appreciation of the Soldiers’ commitment to the country.”
Soldiers met 85 students and chaperons at the Spartan dining facility to enjoy lunch together, before visiting 9th BEB area of operations and Warriors Walk as part of Fort Stewart and 3rd Infantry Division’s community outreach program.
“It was great to have lunch with the students, I have never been a part of something like this before,” said Spc. Jocelyn Cruz, a multichannel transmission systems operator-maintainer with Co. C. “Their energy and enthusiasm for being here with us was great to be around.”
“I liked getting to eat with the Soldiers,” said Michael Glaser, a seventh grader at Ralph Chandler Middle School. “I have always planned to join the Air Force because of my uncles, so it’s been great to be here and meet some Soldiers.”
While touring the 9th BEB area of operations, students viewed a display of different signal equipment while Soldiers explained how the equipment works together to enable communication.
“The display consisted of the HCLOS [high capacity line of site], STT [satellite transportable terminal], and [retransmission] radio equipment,” said 1st Lt. Kyle Griffin, platoon leader and officer in charge of the event with Co. C. “The students will be able to communicate on the radios, adjust the satellite dish on the STT, and view the HCLOS’s 15 meter mass antenna and inside its shelter.”
The tour also offered the opportunity for students to learn about weapons systems commonly used by the Soldiers.
“The company armorers will give [students] instruction on how the weapon systems operate and capabilities each system has,” Griffin said.
“The students were very excited to learn about the weapon systems,” Cruz said. “They were shocked to feel how heavy the gear was.”
The tour concluded with a visit to Warriors Walk where Griffin explained to students the ultimate sacrifice each tree along the memorial represents.
“We have to never forget the sacrifice of those who have fallen,” Griffin said. “Warriors Walk is where we honor these individuals from [3rd Infantry Division].”
“I thought it was important how they show thanks to the fallen warriors here and never let them be forgotten,” said Nondi Mayer, a student of Ralph Chandler Middle School.
The tour allowed the students to learn about military life by interacting with the Soldiers, and supported the school’s efforts to educate students on post high school opportunities.
“Right now our school system has a push for college and career readiness,” said Chellee McDougal, an English teacher with Ralph Chandler Middle School. “The military offers [students] both of these. The technologies the Soldiers have shown us today is what excites a lot of [students]. I am grateful our students get to be a part of this.”
Soldiers and students enjoyed and benefited from the experience, according to some of the participants.
“It is important for Soldiers to interact with our community, especially when it involves our youth,” Kyle said. “It breaks up the day to day pace of things and reminds us who our efforts are defending.”
“This was a great [tour]. I liked learning about all the equipment [Soldiers] have to wear into battle,” said Logan Pate, a student with Ralph Chandler Middle School. “I would give it a ten out of ten.”
| Date Taken: | 05.11.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 05.16.2016 16:54 |
| Story ID: | 198249 |
| Location: | FORT STEWART, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 105 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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