FORT STEWART, Ga. - As the high school-aged girls sat facing one another in the MaxxPro Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, Pfc. Justin M. Mallard shared stories about how he and his infantry section had to survive for up to two weeks at a time in Iraq out of what gear and food could be stored in the belly of the vehicle.
Private First Class Mallard, an infantryman with Company A, 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Third Infantry Division, said that even with dramatically less space and passenger capacity than an RG33 MRAP, he and his fellow Soldiers preferred the smaller vehicle, as it was more maneuverable and less destructive to low-hanging power lines in Iraqi towns. The Shelbyville, Tenn., native added that the section happily made the MRAP their home on countless long, mounted patrols along the border of Iraq and Syria.
The girls listened intently and looked around the small space, wide-eyed with a new understanding of a small facet of a Soldier's daily life.
Hope Armstrong and Meredith Eby were two of 15 First Presbyterian Christian Academy students to tour Fort Stewart, Ga., Feb. 22, in recognition of their efforts in helping their school earn one of two spots out of 600 schools nationally as a 2012 Undeniable Finalist in a competition hosted by the athletic apparel line Under Armour.
Accompanying the students on the tour were Bryan Offutt, Under Armour Director of Outdoor, and Chad Flemming, a former Army Ranger captain who, having been wounded in combat on three separate occasions, suffered a trans-tibial amputation of his left leg.
The three-time Purple Heart recipient, who serves as the face of the Under Armour Freedom Line, joined Offutt and the students at 3rd ID's living memorial, Warrior's Walk; at the 4IBCT fitness center and dining facility; and at a static display set up in the 3/15 Inf. motor pool.
Specialist Robert A. Rocha, a cavalry scout with 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 4IBCT, manned a Humvee during the static display. The Durant, Okla., native said it felt good giving young people a snapshot of Army life.
"Not many of the kids around [here] actually get to see the equipment or [gain] hands-on [experience] with the equipment that we use every day," Spc. Rocha said. "It felt really good to actually show them; that way they know what it is that we do … for our job."
At the static display, students and Under Armour representatives were exposed to a variety of military vehicles and weapons systems, and many Soldiers had the opportunity to share personal experiences as they related to their Army service.Specialist Rocha said that community relations events that target high school students, such as the static display, are important and should be conducted on a regular basis.
"I have nieces, nephews and cousins and they're all about the same age," Spc. Rocha said. "I think without someone to look up to, without the mentors and all that … [there are] a lot of [young people] that seem to be heading in the wrong direction."
"Getting to see what we do, maybe it'll change their mind," Spc. Rocha added. "It gives them something to look forward to."
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