Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Juel Foster | LITITZ, Pa. (June 5, 2024) Lt. Robert Geiger, assigned to the "Pioneers" of Air Test...... read more read more
LITITZ, Pa. – The “Pioneers” of Air and Test Evaluation Squadron One (VX-1) participated in a community outreach event at Warwick Middle School in Lititz, PA, June 5, 2024.
Four aircrew members and four midshipmen from the United States Naval Academy gave students and faculty tours of a MH-60S “Sea Hawk” helicopter, and Command Senior Chief Neale McPheron, native of Port Matilda, PA, led a question-and-answer session in the library to address questions the students had about life in the Navy.
“What we’re really doing at these events is building core memories, and we’re building them for a generation and for locations that have never had exposure to this,” said McPheron. “We’re hopefully building a pool of individuals that will be recruits for the Navy over the next five to ten years. But what I enjoy most about these events is watching the faces of the kids and members of the public when they get to interact with aviation. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
VX-1 has coordinated and participated in community outreach events in the central Pennsylvania area since May 2023, aiming to increase awareness of the Navy’s mission in areas with limited Navy presence.
“As Pioneers, we are leaders in the fleet,” said Chief Naval Air Crewman (Helicopter) Benjamin Chellew, the coordinator for the community outreach program at VX-1. “There is no better way to make our mark on the Navy than by sharing our love for naval aviation with the public and future Sailors.”
This community outreach event is the second presently scheduled event by VX-1 in 2024 and aims to support Commander, Navy Recruiting Command’s “Every Sailor is a Recruiter” program.
“Things have shifted educationally where we are, and students think their only options are college or nothing,” said Barbara Wolf, the health and physical education teacher at Warwick. “Our community is so far removed from military experiences, so having events like these, where kids get an up-close and personal experience with the military, is so important because it makes them realize that they have more options. This is one of those moments that the kids will remember forever.”
VX-1 is located at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD, and is a supporting command under Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic.
The principal mission of VX-1 is to test and evaluate airborne anti-submarine warfare, maritime anti-surface warfare, and airborne command and control platforms, as well as support systems, equipment and materials in an operational environment. In this role, the squadron ensures newly fielded systems and upgraded systems are thoroughly tested and evaluated, supporting increased capabilities across the Navy and joint forces.
For more information, visit https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/vx1/.
| Date Taken: | 06.05.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.07.2024 15:54 |
| Story ID: | 473394 |
| Location: | LITITZ, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 29 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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