Photo By Chief Petty Officer Chris Williamson | 211018-N-JH293-1008 SAN DIEGO (Oct. 18, 2021) Educators from Missouri, Kansas and...... read more read more
SAN DIEGO – In an effort to raise Navy awareness and support Navy Recruiting Command’s (NRC) recruiting efforts, seven educators from Missouri, Kansas, and Kentucky, along with personnel from Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Mid America, visited several Navy units in the San Diego area for an Educator Orientation Visit (EOV), Oct. 18-20, 2021.
EOVs are an NRC program that provide an actively engaged, compactly organized tour of various Navy commands and platforms to key center-of-influence educators, which serves to increase their understanding of life in today’s Navy.
During the EOV, the educators toured the following commands: Pacific Beacon (single enlisted housing), Naval Medical Center San Diego, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), USS Spruance (DDG 111), USS Anchorage (LPD 23), Assault Craft Unit (ACU) One, and Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 79.
According to Dr. Josh Ladd, the principal of Mount Vernon High School, Missouri, the EOV far exceeded his expectations.
“The EOV tour was spectacular,” said Ladd. “It brought to light the wealth of career paths that I never dreamed were possible in the Navy. It gives me a lot of talking points for my students, especially since they’re trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives, and for that I've been exceedingly grateful.”
Having had a great experience at every Navy unit he toured, Ladd said his favorite part was the speed at which the Navy develops maturity and responsibility in young Sailors.
“I don’t believe people fully understand all the different skill sets and leadership one can learn with the Navy,” said Ladd. “When I found out that 18 to 21-year-olds are driving aircraft carriers, that was extremely mind boggling. Teaching Sailors that young about what it takes to be that kind of leader was truly impressive.”
Ladd went on to give a call-out to his fellow educators and principals, stating they should be open to the EOV experience and spread the word to others to take part in it.
“Whether someone is a guidance counselor, a teacher, or an administrator, I ask that they take the opportunity to see what’s here in San Diego,” said Ladd. “It’s our responsibility to pass on information to our students as to what career paths are out there, so I would highly recommend they take the time to make this trip.”
Taking the time to make the trip with Ladd was Austin Andrews, a teacher at Southeast High School in Wichita, Kansas. Austin, agreed with Ladd regarding the level of training and knowledge each individual Sailor has instilled within them.
“I never would have imagined everything that goes into a program or getting a ship underway,” said Andrews. “So, it was great to see things from a different perspective and how everything works. This whole experience has made me wish I was 20 years younger. I would join up in an instant because the Navy is that amazing.”
For Andrews, his most rememberable part of the EOV was touring NMC San Diego.
“The one thing that was really special was when we went to the hospital,” said Andrews. “I for one have never performed surgery, so being able to do it on a computer simulation was neat. I like to work with my hands, so it blew my mind when I realized my motor skills translated extremely well to removing a gall bladder. I'm also a builder, so I always see things for what goes into them. Seeing the prosthetic legs and the fabrication lab made me realize the kind of care and oversight that goes into them. In my opinion, it was true craftsmanship.”
Although Andrews had a memorable time on the EOV, he said he only had one regret – that he didn’t get to spend more time in San Diego.
“There was so much to take in in such a short amount of time,” said Andrews. “I blinked my eyes, and it was time to go back home to the Midwest. But I am glad to be going back to Kansas because I want to tell my students there are viable options after high school with the Navy. A lot of kids feel like they don't have the option to go out and do something great with their lives, but that’s not the case. I constantly tell them ‘Go try it, do it, make it fun.’ And now that I’ve done the EOV, I know the Navy is there for them. I can honestly say that the possibilities and opportunities with the Navy are endless.”
David Armbrust, a chemistry teacher at Hutchinson High School, Kansas, was impressed with the EOV as well, especially with all the career opportunities the Navy has to offer.
“I learned that the Navy has opportunities for all kinds of young adults,” said Armbrust. “Whether they’re college educated or right out of high school, the Navy has opportunities for people to pursue a rewarding career or even help them get a job in the civilian sector.”
After touring three different ships, Armbrust said his favorite part of the tour was the giant floating city – the Abraham Lincoln.
“I really enjoyed the aircraft carrier and just the overall size of it,” said Armbrust. “I was awed by how massive the ship and crew were and all of its amazing capabilities. It’s definitely a worthwhile asset for the U.S. to have.”
As the EOV came to an end, Armbrust emphasized the Navy would be a great experience for students, especially for those who don’t know what they want to do in life.
“There are students who could greatly benefit from the Navy and all the different opportunities that are afforded to them,” said Armbrust. “They can become a doctor. They can be a photographer. They can learn to be an engineer or even a mechanic. They can learn all those different kinds of skills in the Navy that they can take with them and use for the rest of their life.”
NRC consists of a command headquarters, three Navy Recruiting Regions, and 26 NTAGs that serve more than 1,000 recruiting stations across the world. Their combined goal is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy.
NTAG Mid America, part of NRC, recruits the next generation of Navy Sailors throughout areas encompassing Missouri, Kansas, central and southern Illinois, and a portion of Kentucky.
| Date Taken: | 10.20.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 10.28.2021 14:51 |
| Story ID: | 408254 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 633 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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