Photo By Staci Dunston | Junior Cadet Corps students from Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Middle School in...... read more read more
NAS JRB FORT WORTH, TEXAS –
On November 7, 2024, 41 Junior Cadet Corps (JCC) students from Leadership Academy at Forest Oak (LAFO) Middle School in Fort Worth ISD were given the opportunity to tour Naval Air Station (NAS) Joint Reserve Base (JRB) Fort Worth.
The JCC at LAFO Middle school an elective program is designed to foster leadership development, positive self-esteem, teamwork, and responsible patriotic citizenship among its cadets.
“In JCC, we’re family. We are adamant about respect for others and having integrity to the highest standard. The JCC program is an outstanding choice for any student because we offer a way for them to get involved and be part of a team in a non-traditional way. I would recommend this program for any student who has a desire to build their character and learn leadership skills,” Master-at-Arms Chief Petty Officer Christopher LeBoeuf and Personnel Specialist (Ret) Valton Triche shared.
The JCC students along with their instructors, LeBoeuf and Triche attended the tour. They visited Air Logistics Training Center (ALTC), Air Traffic Control (ATC), ate lunch at the Ten Bowling Center, took photos in front of static displays, and ended the tour at the Military Clothing & Sales.
When students arrived at NAS JRB Fort Worth, their first stop on the tour was at Air Logistics Training Center (ALTC). Mark Van Minsel, Chief Warrant Officer (Ret), currently a civilian in Contracting Officer’s Representative Aviation Training Systems, coordinates tours at ALTC.
“Tours provide a great opportunity for the JROTC and ROTC students to see first-hand about careers in the military. They can see, touch, smell (yes smell) an aircraft. The aircraft have a specific smell to them, especially the C-130 that ALTC uses as a training device,” Van Minsel said. “We let the students open an engine panel so they can see the detail of the equipment and what it takes to work on said piece. Sometimes there is just enough for the student to spark the desire to join the Navy or Marine Corps and maybe consider a career as a pilot.”
Throughout the tour at ALTC, students got a chance to fly a C-130 simulator, sit in a C-130 cockpit and cargo section, inspect an engine, and sit inside the passenger portion of a C-40.
“I know of two young men who pursued flight training after visiting the flight simulators,” stated Van Minsel. “One is a pilot with American Airlines and the other is flying with Envoy Air. To hear about their careers from family members makes me feel that I did have an impact in helping them choose a profession.”
After ALTC and eating lunch, the JCC students stopped by ATC. They climbed the many flights of stairs to stand atop the tower and learn about what the air traffic controllers do on a daily basis. They were able to experience an aerial view of NAS JRB Fort Worth, look through binoculars and watch a C-130 land and take off. After the tower, students received a tour of the radar room. They were shown communication equipment and radar systems where the sailors explained the various types of jobs they attend to on the regular. They enabled the red lights for the students to show them how it improves night vision.
Following their visit to ATC, the students took photos in front of static displays followed by the Military Clothing Store.
A JCC student said after the tour was completed, “I enjoyed learning about aviation. I learned a lot of things about airplanes and am now considering the military as a career. I had a lot of fun and enjoyed our trip to the base. I hope I can go back soon and try new things.”
LeBoeuf shared, “Having the ability to participate in the base tour gives cadets a unique opportunity. Many of the students have never been on any military installation. They are exposed to things they’ve probably never seen on any other field trip, especially flight simulators and visiting an active flight control tower. Since returning from the base, many cadets have changed their perspective on what day to day life in the military is like. Several have said they are considering joining the Navy as a career option.”
NAS JRB Fort Worth is the first and finest joint reserve base, known for training and equipping air crews and aviation ground support personnel, while supporting missions such as airlift, aerial refueling, and global mobility, making it an integral part of national defense infrastructure.
| Date Taken: | 11.07.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.19.2024 10:23 |
| Story ID: | 485640 |
| Location: | FORT WORTH, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 52 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Junior Cadet Corps visit NAS JRB Fort Worth, by Staci Dunston, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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