U.S.
GalleryService members give schoolkids a look at life in military
Stars and Stripes
April 23, 2024
A youngster makes an announcement inside a P-19R Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting vehicle assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 during a career fair in New Bern, N.C., on Friday, April 19, 2024. Marines from the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing headquartered at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., participated in the event at Oaks Road Academy to engage with the local community. (Daisha Ramirez/U.S. Marine Corps)
Service members last week asked groups of young children that age-old question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Doctor, firefighter, center fielder for the Yankees? Maybe, with a little bit of exposure, they would consider life as a soldier, sailor, airman, Marine or guardian.
That was part of the mission last Friday at the Student Engagement and Career Day held at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., and at a career fair in New Bern, N.C.
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Students wait in line for a tour of the KC-46A Pegasus during a Student Engagement and Career Day event at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., Friday, April 19, 2024. (Austin Knox/U.S. Air Force)
Students pose for a photo in front of a C-17 Globemaster III during the Student Engagement and Career Day event at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., Friday, April 19, 2024. (Aidan Thompson/U.S. Air Force)
A Civil Air Patrol member speaks to students during the Student Engagement and Career Day event with one of the volunteers at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., Friday, April 19, 2024. (Aidan Thompson/U.S. Air Force)
A student tries on an explosive ordnance disposal helmet during the Student Engagement and Career Day event at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., Friday, April 19, 2024. (Aidan Thompson/U.S. Air Force)
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., Security Forces bring their working dogs to a Student Engagement and Career Day event at JB MDL, Friday, April 19, 2024. (Austin Knox/U.S. Air Force)
Students admire a robot dog during the Student Engagement and Career Day event at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., Friday, April 19, 2024. (Aidan Thompson/U.S. Air Force)
The McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst event, led by the 305th Air Mobility Wing’s Aviation Inspiration and Mentorship team, exposed nearly 2,200 individuals to military service opportunities. Participants included students in grades K-12, Civil Air Patrol and ROTC detachments from the tri-state area.
“This event is a testament to the power of teamwork with our joint and mission partners across JB MDL toward the common goal we share to inspire the next generation,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Kristopher Mack, 6th Airlift Squadron operations superintendent. “It was exciting to witness the enthusiasm from the students and see how much they enjoyed engaging with our service members, activities and aircraft as much as we enjoyed engaging with them. It was a good day!”
Beyond the thrills and excitement of sitting in a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle or shouldering a FIM-92 Stinger, events like these serve a deeper purpose: raising awareness about the myriad of career opportunities available within the military.
At the career fair in New Bern, N.C., Marines from the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing headquartered at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., provided an up-close look at many areas of their lives and work.
Students at Oaks Road Academy explore the inside of an MKR18 Logistics Vehicle System Replacement during a career fair in New Bern, N.C., Friday, April 19, 2024. (Daisha Ramirez/U.S. Marine Corps)
U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Gabriel Soto, right, a native of California and an expeditionary firefighting and rescue specialist with Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 271, explains how to operate a firehose to a student during a career fair at Oaks Road Academy in New Bern, N.C., Friday, April 19, 2024. (Daisha Ramirez/U.S. Marine Corps)
Students at Oaks Road Academy pose for a photo inside a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle during a career fair in New Bern, N.C., Friday, April 19, 2024. (Daisha Ramirez/U.S. Marine Corps)
Students at Oaks Road Academy explore the inside of a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle during a career fair in New Bern, N.C., on Friday, April 19, 2024. (Daisha Ramirez/U.S. Marine Corps)
A student at Oaks Road Academy poses for a photo next to a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle in New Bern, N.C., Friday, April 19, 2024. (Daisha Ramirez/U.S. Marine Corps)
U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Joshua Teague, center, a native of Tennessee and a low-altitude air-defense (LAAD) gunner with 2nd LAAD Battalion, explains how to operate a FIM-92 Stinger to a student during a career fair at Oaks Road Academy in New Bern, N.C., Friday, April 19, 2024. (Daisha Ramirez/U.S. Marine Corps)
U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Gabriel Soto, left, a native of California and an expeditionary firefighting and rescue specialist with Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 271, talks with students about crash-fire rescue tools during a career fair at Oaks Road Academy in New Bern, N.C., Friday, April 19, 2024. (Daisha Ramirez/U.S. Marine Corps)
U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Easton Bevins, a native of Kentucky and a motor vehicle operator with Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 271, explains the features of an MKR18 Logistics Vehicle System Replacement to students during a career fair at Oaks Road Academy in New Bern, N.C., Friday, April 19, 2024. (Daisha Ramirez/U.S. Marine Corps)