Fort Huachuca, Arizona – What began as a field trip for 13 Berian Academy students to learn from honor guards has quickly become an unforgettable army experience for many.

On Thursday, May 18, cadets in the Academy’s Military Common Core (MCC) program will spend the day detailing the official duties of the Honor Guard and what it’s like to be a non-commissioned officer in the Army. experienced.

“We understand that the Army has struggled to recruit and maintain,” said Capt. Connor Gormond, U.S. Army Garrison Command and Headquarters Company Commander. “By hosting training like this, we can show young people what to expect before they join the military.”

The cadets learned of the field trip two weeks ago when their program advisor, Retired Captain Ralph Gallen, told them they were going to learn from the soldiers at Fort Huachuca.

Galen said word of the field trip spread quickly, and several more students decided to join the group so they could join the trip, learn from the soldiers, and participate in the MCC program.

“I joined the program a week ago,” said Silvestre Garcia, a ninth grader. “I was looking forward to coming to the fort, and the program was fun, and I really like it.”

When the cadets first arrived, it was a mixture of excitement and tension. Galen said he was looking forward to learning about the drills and rituals from active-duty soldiers.

The tension quickly dissipated as the cadets went head-to-head with the instruction they received and mastered new skills.

The training began with a brief demonstration by the Honor Guard of the correct procedure for folding the Stars and Stripes and how to present the folded flag.

After the demonstration, the cadets split into groups and took turns practicing what the soldiers had taught them. Despite some struggles, the soldiers provided guidance and answered all of our questions.

The highlight of the day was when the cadets experienced operating the artillery. They learned how to disassemble and assemble firing mechanisms, how to perform functional checks, and hand and arm cues to direct when to fire.

“The artillery was fun,” said MCC Company student commander Brad Colvin. “That was definitely my favorite part of the training. We didn’t know we were going to fire them, so it was a nice surprise.”

Each cadet was given the opportunity to fire a cannon. After firing, there was an ear-to-ear smile on their faces as another cadet walked back to join the rest of the group before eagerly taking their turn.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, the soldiers taught the cadets proper marching techniques and how to display their colors at formal events such as graduations, sports competitions, and various other ceremonies.

This was the first time that cadets received formal training on the step-by-step process of listing colors. Candidates are expected to post their colors at Belian Academy’s graduation ceremony on May 19.

While this learning experience was great for the cadets, the soldiers also benefited from teaching their students and spending the day with each other doing things they rarely practiced as a group.

“We enjoy having outside groups come to the post and train with us,” Sergeant said. Jake Novatic. “These drills keep us together, but we don’t always do color guard operations or artillery drills.”

Galen said he hopes the excitement will continue as the cadets bring home the skills they learned here to gain more experience and learn more about what the military has to offer.

“We have four high school students who want to be guardsmen, reservists, or active duty,” Galen said. “I think it’s important to give them a broad and diverse background of military experience that they can use as a recruitment tool.”

While there are no future plans for the cadets to visit Fort Huachuca again, Mr. Gallen has always been open to providing more learning opportunities, and has said that he is committed to providing cadets with a new experience. He said he would like to work with various organizations in

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Fort Huachuca is home to the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence, U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command/9th Army Signal Command, and supports over 48 tenants representing a diverse and multidisciplinary workforce. Our unique environment includes 946 square miles of restricted airspace and 2,500 square miles of protected microwave ovens, which are critical elements of our national defense mission.

Located in Cochise County in southeastern Arizona, about 25 miles north of the Mexican border, Fort Huachuca is a frontier military installation with a rich history. Founded in 1877, the fort was designated a national landmark in 1976.

We are the home of the Army.Learn more about https://home.army.mil/huachuca/.