Fifty three local high school students packed into busses headed to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point Jan. 24, expecting a typical fieldtrip but generally unaware of what their day held in store.
The students, ranging from 9th to 12th grade, visited a variety of the stations units, like Aircraft Rescue Firefighting, Cherry Point Naval Health Clinic and station Combat Camera.
“It’s good for the students to come here and see what we do, and we get to give a class on fire safety while they’re here,” said Cpl. Gary Meadows, a crew chief with ARFF. “Having an audience gives us a chance to do some of the things we don’t normally do, like wet runs and taking the trucks out. It lets us brag about how cool our job is.”
Meadows said their demonstrations are more common in the summer and average one every two or three weeks.
“I really liked the health clinic,” said Katherine Arnold, a senior. “I want to be in the medical field in the Coast Guard when I graduate. Coming here has reconfirmed my decision to join.”
“It’s great for students to come out and visit the various places here at Cherry Point,” said Gunnery Sgt. Helen Searcy, who assisted with the tour, and is the community relations chief for the air station. “This enabled them to understand how we all come together and function as a team.”
Julia Mobley, who supervised the students during the trip, said the tour was a great experience for the students and that getting them to places like MCAS Cherry Point can help open their minds and open new doors for what they might want to do in the future.
“This trip has been really cool and informative,” said Brittany Flowers, a junior. “I really like the Navy corpsman (field). My sister was in the Navy and that’s what sparked my interest.”