Students learn what the Army has to offer

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (Feb 2, 2015) -- It was an opportunity not many high schoolers have the chance to experience.

Wednesday, ninth grade students in the career prep class at Sardis High School in Boaz spent the day at Redstone Arsenal, toured various facilities and learned about what the Army has to offer, up close and personal.

"I think that it is good that students of this age are exposed to all of the different careers available at Redstone," said Child, Youth and School Services school liaison officer Barbara Williams. "They can come out here and think, 'I can do this.'"

A highlight of the day was visiting Redstone Test Center's Aviation Flight Test Directorate and touring a CH47F -- the Army's largest and fastest helicopter.

The students had the opportunity to take photos with the Chinook and several of them took advantage of access to the cockpit of the impressive machine. They were suitably impressed by the scope of AFTD and its aircraft fleet -- not an easy feat with teenagers.

"We have at least one of every rotary wing aircraft that the Army flies," said AFTD employee Pete Santorelli.

The students also visited Marshall Space Flight Center, Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center's Prototype Integration Facility, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' National Center for Explosives Training and Research, the Garrison Police Dog Kennel and finished the day with pizza at the Redstone Bowling Center.

Sardis City chaperone Jessica Walden expressed their appreciation for giving the students an opportunity to see the state-of-the-art facilities at Redstone and talk to the subject-matter experts on hand to interact and answer questions.

"I think that it is interesting," Walden said. "A lot of the students are interested in the military life and this type of career."

The tour was sponsored by the Team Redstone Education Outreach program, a joint-effort between the Garrison Public Affairs office and the Child, Youth and School Services school liaison officer, which connects students in the Tennessee Valley to education resources on Redstone Arsenal. For more information on the program and its available resources, visit www.garrison.redstone.army.mil/uploads/EducationOutreachCatalog2014-2015.pdf or contact the Garrison Public Affairs office at 256-876-4161 or the School Liaison Officer at 842-9642.