AFROTC base tour
UD AFROTC cadets visit Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina
1:26 p.m., April 20, 2016--The mission of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of Delaware is to train and prepare undergraduate students for service as active duty officers in the United States Air Force.
Over spring break, UD cadets traveled to Goldsboro, North Carolina, to experience active duty military life on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
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Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is home to the Air Combat Command’s 4th Fighter Wing. The base is one of the largest fighter wings in the Air Force, with over 6,000 airmen and civilian personnel.
During their trip, cadets shadowed officers of various career fields, including aviation (pilots and weapon system officers), intelligence, security forces, engineers, flight doctors and pharmacists, just to name a few.
Cadets also had the opportunity to experience an honor guard demonstration, tour the base’s fire department, watch a promotion ceremony, and have two question-and-answer sessions with military members of various ranks and jobs.
The cadets were able to tour two types of aircraft during their visit. One was the F-15E Strike Eagle, a dual-role, all-weather fighter capable of air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. F-15E pilots and weapon systems operators from the 334th Fighter Squadron discussed the aircraft capabilities and briefed the cadets about daily operations and training in the F-15E.
The second aircraft the cadets toured and were briefed on its mission, was the KC-135 refueling aircraft from the 916th Air Refueling Wing.
One of the highlights of the trip was Seymour Johnson’s Explosives Ordinance Disposal (EOD) unit. Cadets received an interactive tour that included state-of-the-art disarming robots, a bomb suit, tours of response vehicles, and a briefing on the EOD mission overseas.
On the last day of the trip, cadets had the privilege to meet the commander of the 4th Fighter Wing, Col. Mark H. Slocum. He spoke with cadets, providing mentorship as well as his own stories and experiences as a senior Air Force officer.
Commenting on the opportunity, freshman Cadet Danielle Callahan said, “It was amazing that he stopped to talk to us. I don’t think many others would have taken the time to do that, especially for us as cadets.”
The base visit program is part of a larger detachment improvement initiative to leverage available resources for value added training opportunities. This includes interaction with current officers in Air Force job specialties the cadets want to enter upon graduation.
Air Force ROTC is seeking qualified cadets for its program. The 128th Cadet Wing is headquartered at 314 Wyoming Road. For those interested, the recruiting officer, Capt. Laura Covalesky, can be reached at lcovales@udel.edu or by calling 302-831-2863.