LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- Students from nine high schools across Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee were invited to attend a Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Expo at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, May 3.
More than 300 cadets from multiple Air Force, Army, and Navy Junior ROTC programs attended the event to experience the active-duty lifestyle as a service member for a day.
“We were very excited to attend this event,” said retired U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Michael Raymer, a Navy Junior ROTC senior naval science instructor. “Our program’s goal is to help set and achieve goals of our students, and events like this help pique their interest in the opportunities that are available to them.”
Students, teachers and chaperones toured base amenities such as the base gym and the airmen dormitories. Exhibitions at the Junior ROTC Expo included a military working dog and a base honor guard demonstration.
“I had a lot of fun,” said Ashton Outlaw, a Navy Junior ROTC cadet. “This was a very thrilling experience.”
While the Junior ROTC Expo focused on military careers, the true intent was to inform students of the avenues available for them to accomplish their goals and inspire them to be leaders in society.
“It’s so important to engage with our community at a human level,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Bree Lanz, Junior ROTC Expo planning committee member. “Events like this give us the chance to get the word out about the opportunities the military could provide for them and give them an inside look at the things they could do. Ultimately, we’re talking to the future leaders in our community, and potentially building a better total work force.”