Central High School JROTC visits Fort Pickett

Published 8:37 am Thursday, April 7, 2016

: (Photo by Hannah Davis) From left, MATES employee Sgt. Orrey Lloyd and WOC Robert Capriotti answer questions from JROTC students Maranda Bentley, Hali Brewer, Destinee Barrett and Enicka Whisonant.

The Central High School Junior Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (JROTC) visited Fort Pickett in March to participate in Operation Spartan Reach.

Fort Pickett called the event “a joint effort bringing together future U.S. Army Warrant Officers and local students who have shown an interest in protecting their nation.”

(Photo by Hannah Davis)
From left, John McGrath, Arron Haley and Aiden Brooks take a “selfie” from atop a tank.

During the event, students learned about safety, benefits of being in the National Guard, everyday duties of officers and how different army vehicles work, among many other things.

“The mission is for the candidates of the 183d RTI Warrant Officer Candidate (WOC) School to reach out into the community and make a positive impact,” a Fort Pickett briefing statement read.

(Photo by Hannah Davis)
Destinee Barrett climbs down from a tank.

“The goal is to introduce students to equipment in the Army they normally would not have access to, as well as give them an opportunity to gain insight into the rewarding and challenging Warrant Officer career path available to them,” according to the statement.

Central students listened patiently during each briefing earlier in the day before lunch was served. After lunch, students excitedly met officers outside to check out some of Fort Pickett’s most advanced equipment.

(Photo by Hannah Davis)
WOC Ingrid Keller, second from the left, speaks to Samantha Hurdle, second from the right, and Jennifer Joyner, right, as their fellow JROTC member gets in the truck.

Among the equipment was an Abrams Tank, Bradley Fighting Vehicle, Hercules, High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), Armored Security Vehicle (ASV), Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge (AVLB), Paladin Tank, Armored Personnel Carrier and a Load Handling System.

Central’s Col. Whit Brag said that the students really enjoyed themselves and that the school’s JROTC program tries to go out to events like the one held at Fort Pickett as much as possible. The program usually does some type of training every weekend.