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Cadets, midshipmen get birds-eye view of Grissom mission

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Mota
  • 434th ARW Public Affairs
GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind --  Developing the future force is a common theme woven into the fabric of military leaders, and Grissom fueled that future during a recent mission.

A group of Notre Dame cadets, midshipmen and their staff participated in an orientation flight onboard a 434th Air Refueling Wing KC-135R Stratotanker from Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind., April 1.

"These flights are important because they expose our cadets to the operational Air Force and complement the instruction we provide in the classroom," said Colonel Frank Rossi, Notre Dame Air Force ROTC Detachment 225 commander. "To actually go up in a KC-135 and observe air-to-air refueling is invaluable to their overall AFROTC experience."

During the flight 20 cadets and six midshipmen boarded two KC-135Rs to observe the refueling of a C-17 Globemaster III and an A-10 Thunderbolt.

"The cadets and midshipmen benefit from the flight because they get to interact with Airmen performing these missions," explained Rossi. "This is very important to the cadets as they try to determine in which career fields they are interested."

Throughout the flight, cadets and midshipmen had the opportunity to speak with aircrew about their jobs and observe first-hand how their jobs are performed.

"This experience allowed us to meet Airmen from various career fields and backgrounds, and helped to diversify our knowledge-base for career decisions down the road," said John Dean, Notre Dame Air Force ROTC Detachment 225 cadet. "Beyond that, the physical experience of flying on a military aircraft was absolutely new for all those in attendance, and seeing our Air Force in action was extremely beneficial."

That action started from the point the students boarded the plane and began speaking with pilots about missions they performed.

"The crew members were phenomenal," explained Dean. "The pilots answered any and all questions we had, whether it was flying-specific or a general question about Air Force life."

After rotating in and out of the cockpit cadets and midshipmen moved to the back of the aircraft to observe aircraft refueling from a birds-eye view.

"The senior enlisted on the crews were extremely helpful, explaining some of the intricacies of flying the boom through the air and directing the receiving aircraft into the nozzle," he added. "Watching the crew work in concert with one another to accomplish the aerial refueling was simply impressive."

Following the flight, guests had an opportunity to ask additional questions to the aircrew and thank them for their participation during their visit.

"I think my favorite part of the flight was getting to speak with the crews," said Dean. "The career experiences that they shared were very informative for me, as a college sophomore preparing to make some important decisions in the course of my potential Air Force career."

All in all, the flight went extremely well for all who attended concluded Rossi.

"Everybody had a fantastic time," he said. "As soon as we landed everybody's cell phones came out as they posted pictures and video clips to their favorite social media site, and the next day one of the Navy ROTC midshipmen told me it was the highlight of his year!"

Grissom is home to the 434th Air Refueling Wing, the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command, as well as three Army Reserve units. Airmen, Soldiers and Marines routinely deploy from Grissom around the world in support of the Department of Defense mission and U.S. strategic objectives.

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