On 01 July 2009, at 0900 Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie flights rode the buses to Warfield Air National Guard Base.  The ride took about 45 minutes during which the cadet basics read their Operational Instructions (OI’s) and completed their encampment workbooks.

All three flights arrived at Warfield around 0945 and received a briefing about the C-130J. The cadets were separated into two sections – one had the opportunity to ride on a C-130J, while the second got to view an A-10 inside and out.  Around 1200 both sections switched activities.

The C-130J rides lasted about 45 minutes each.  When the plane took off, all cadets were safely secured in their seats.  Once they were in the air, cadets were allowed to walk around the airplane to see the views out of the windows.  They also had the opportunity to visit the cockpit to greet the pilots, Lt Col Kristen Brawley, MDANG, and Lt Col Tom Hans, MDANG.  The cadets were able to gain a better understanding of the pilots’ perspective, a great experience they all enjoyed.

The tour of the A-10’s was a very exiting experience.  The cadets got to view an A-10 that was undergoing maintenance and were able to ask Air National Guard personnel questions about everything they saw.  They got to see all the details of the airplane up close, including the cockpit.

Once both sections completed the activities, they regrouped and headed down to the base’s fire department where the Air National Guard showed them some of equipment they use.  They also explained the purpose of their job and some of the cadet basics had the opportunity to ride with a firefighter in one of the fire trucks.  Afterwards, they demonstrated how a truck sprays water onto a burning aircraft.

The Warfield Air National Guard Base trip was an awesome experience for all of the basics, including those who visited the base on the other rotation days.  Many cadets had never had an experience like this before and the 2009 Maryland-Delaware Encampment is very grateful to the Maryland Air National Guard for making these trips possible.

C/SMSgt Zuleyma Ruiz
Public Affairs NCO