Chief Warrant Officer 5 Chris Cottrill, Eighth Army Aviation Operations Standardization Officer, helps Boy Scout Troop 88 members adjust their altitude while they fly their Blackhawk aircraft with the Non-rated Crew Member Manned Module simulator at ...
Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eugene Santos, Eighth Army Aviation Operations Plans Officer, helps members of Boy Scout Troop 88 simulate flying a helicopter using the CH-47F Simulator at Camp Humphreys, Jan. 21. Boy Scout Troop 88 took classes on various a...
Service members from Eighth Army and Boy Scout Troop 88 gather for a group photo during their visit to Camp Humphreys, Jan. 21. Boy Scout Troop 88 took classes on various aircraft, toured military aviation facilities and experienced CH-47F and UH-60 ...
YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea -- Tramping through the thick snow, Boy Scouts from Troop 88 loaded the bus at the U. S Army Garrison Yongsan Commissary as they started their journey to Camp Humphreys, Jan.21.
Service members with Eighth Army Aviation Operations volunteered to help the Boy Scouts earn their Aviation Merit Badge.
The goal of this journey for Boy Scout Troop 88 was to see various types of aircraft, tour military aviation facilities and experience UH-60 and CH-47F virtual helicopter simulators to earn their Aviation Merit Badge.
As they arrived at Humphreys, a number of service members volunteered their time to teach classes to the Boy Scouts on general aviation knowledge and gave a briefing on the jobs and duties related to aviation units.
"I think letting them be exposed to a new environment where they can experience something they might find interesting was a great opportunity for them." said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Chris Cottrill, Eighth Army Aviation Operations Standardization Officer. "It really made me feel their desire to learn about aviation."
During their visit, they received one-on-one training in UH-60 Blackhawk and CH-47F Chinook helicopter simulators.
"Controlling an aircraft was harder than I thought," said Frank P. Intini IV, a Seoul American Middle School student. "I was nervous in the beginning, but after flying in the air, I felt more confident."
The instructors helped the Boy Scouts overcome their fears by teaching them how to control and land helicopters.
"I was scared when I sat on the simulator because I was not sure how to take off or land," said Titos Cerbone, a Seoul American Middle School student. "The instructor helped me with the direction and altitude when I was about to deviate from the route. It was a really exciting experience."
After the simulators, they headed to the air traffic control center where they learned the importance of managing the altitude and direction of aircraft from the ground.
Lastly, the Boy Scouts moved to the General Support Aviation Battalion where they saw how service members maintain the installation and learned about their duties, which put an end to their journey at Humphreys.
"Mentoring young Boy Scouts about Army Aviation was a very rewarding experience," said Cottrill. "My hope is, that by bringing young men or ladies in to see and experience some of the different opportunities that exist in Army Aviation they might desire pursuing a career in the military aviation also."
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