Photo By Master Sgt. Joseph Harwood | Members of the 179th Airlift Wing and 200th RED HORSE Det.1, Mansfield, Ohio, welcomed...... read more read more
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Ohio Air National Guard (ANG) members of the 179th Airlift Wing (AW) and 200th REDHORSE Squadron (RHS) Det. 1 in Mansfield, Ohio, welcomed a group of young men to tour the installation with them July 20, 2016. The program is called Team Focus, which seeks to guide young men without a father figure in their life by surrounding them with male role models and positive influences. The goal is to help develop them as leaders who will strive to become a positive influence in the world; a goal met as one young man became an airman and three other veterans found a new way to serve.
Three of the Team Focus mentors know the benefits of military service from personal experience, having served in the Army, Navy and Air Force. All of the mentors take a personal interest in both being a role model for the boys and also showing them how to overcome adversity and focus on their potential. One mentor pointed to an Airman and said, “That can be you. That will be you if you want it to be. There is nothing stopping you from wearing that uniform or flying that aircraft. How bad do you want it? How hard do you want to work for it?”
An Airman from the 179th AW, Senior Airman Cory Bishop, believes the program changed his life. Bishop joined the Team Focus group in 2004, following the passing of his father. Bishop recalled, “At that time Team Focus was a fairly new organization, but it was growing rapidly! I saw it progress from having camps in two states (Ohio and Alabama) to having an impact in young men's lives in nearly a dozen states across the country each year. Unfortunately at the time Team Focus did not have a working relationship with any military units, but I know that as a boy and young man there is nothing that I would have loved more than to get the experience of touring a military base.”
Bishop attributes his success as an Airman to his role models for molding him into the person he is today, saying “I have great respect and love for the men and women that operate and volunteer for youth programs such as Team Focus. Groups such as this make far more of an impact than they know in the community! It fills a void in the life of young men and women from all over.”
Bishop speaks highly of his decision to serve in the Ohio Air National Guard, “The military has been a truly amazing experience for me! During my enlistment I have developed my leadership abilities, obtained technical education and experience in a variety of career fields, and traveled to the other side of this world; all while building some of the strongest friendships that I have ever known. There is no doubt in my mind that the military is an excellent path for any young person who is in need of direction. It gives you a sense of purpose and belonging where you may not otherwise have one!” Also, Bishop has experienced the benefit of mentorship and has chosen to give back, “Currently, with my wife, I lead a children's ministry at my local church. I also maintain as much involvement with Team Focus as possible.”
When the young men boarded the bus to leave the 179th AW and return to their homes, they didn’t just watch an aircraft take off today. The hope is that they watched those Air Force pilots take off in a C-130H Hercules and understood that it was hard work that got them there and the people they surrounded themselves with who helped carry the load.
For more information about the Team Focus organization, visit their website at http://teamfocususa.org/
| Date Taken: | 07.20.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 07.21.2016 16:39 |
| Story ID: | 204648 |
| Location: | MANSFIELD, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 175 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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