Story by Ainsley Hall, The Journal
MARTINSBURG — The Berkeley County Air Force Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) joined the Winchester Civil Air Patrol for an educational C-17 orientation flight.
A total of 10 cadets were chosen to join the training flight for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fly over Richmond, Virginia.
When Chief Ronald Glazer, senior aerospace science instructor for JROTC, heard that there were open spots for the flight, he jumped at the opportunity to have his students experience the flight. His friend, Maj. Jacob Bixler, helped organize the event and invited the students. However, because there were a limited number of spots, the JROTC decided to choose cadets at random from each of the four high schools.
Evan Carson was one of the 10 cadets chosen. Carson is a ninth-grade student from Spring Mills High School. She joined JROTC because both her parents were a part of the group when they were in high school and is considering joining the military when she graduates high school. Carson was excited to have this special opportunity.
“When we got onto the plane, everyone was so excited for the plane to start,” she said. “It felt like we were waiting forever to start flying. When we finally started, everyone’s faces lit up. We all got to take turns going into the cockpit. It felt unreal.”
Carson loved every minute of the flight. Even though she’s only been a part of JROTC for a few weeks, she enjoys spending time with the people there. She shared that Glazer and the other instructors make her feel safe and comfortable.
“JROTC makes my days at school better,” Carson said. “It’s a great program.”
Glazer was excited that the students had this opportunity. Not only did the cadets learn a lot about the C-17 work and ask questions about what the airmen do, but the airmen also got to share their passion and pride in what they do.
Glazer explained that it takes a lot of money to fly the plane, which is why they often do their flight orientations during their training missions.
“Most airmen don’t even get to fly, because most of them work in support positions,” Glazer said. “It was an awesome opportunity to feel firsthand what an aircraft can do. It was a great learning experience.”
Glazer hopes that the cadets will appreciate all the hard work the airmen do to fly the planes and be inspired to learn more about aviation. Many of the cadets were interested in flying and learning more about the C-17.
Though they might not join the military, this experience might inspire students to become pilots in the future.
Article published in The Journal, September 22, 2023.