UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter pilot Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ryan Craig, from the 2nd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, briefs a Future Soldier about the aircraft's flight controls.
Mega Event Gives Future Soldiers a Taste of Army Life
Story and photos by Capt. Peter Smedberg, 10th Mountain Division
June 1, 2015
Two hundred fifty Future Soldiers from five Eastern states got a taste of Army life at the Albany Recruiting Battalion’s Mega Future Soldier event May 16 at Watervliet Arsenal.
The event kicked off with a 10th Combat Aviation Brigade UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter landing and featured a squad of infantrymen, weapons from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, military policemen and their working dogs from the 91st Military Police Company, explosive ordnance disposal technicians from the 63rd EOD Battalion, food service specialists from the 10th Sustainment Brigade and an M-1 Abrams tank static display.
“The purpose behind this event is to let Future Soldiers who have enlisted, but not yet shipped to basic combat training, get a taste and a sense of what it’s like to be around professional Army Soldiers,” said Lt. Col. Michael D. Coleman, Albany Recruiting Battalion commander. He also said this outing was productive for his Future Soldiers.
“To allow somebody who volunteered to be a helicopter mechanic to actually be able to see a helicopter is a great recruiting tool and also lets that person talk about it when they get home,” Coleman said.
Through the Total Army Involvement in Recruiting (TAIR) Program, Albany Battalion has built a relationship with the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum. Soldiers hope to build upon the success of Saturday’s engagement by conducting similar events in the months to come.
“Being a part of today’s display and showcasing our aircraft is exciting for us as well,” said Capt. Andrew Hicks, a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter pilot from the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade. “We are proud of our unit, our equipment and what we do. I feel we owe it to the Army to be good ambassadors and get involved in the recruiting process wherever we can.”
Coleman said the TAIR program not only helps USAREC recruit the best and brightest Future Soldiers, but allows recruiters to stay connected and involved with their MOSs.
Story and photos by Capt. Peter Smedberg, 10th Mountain Division
June 1, 2015
Two hundred fifty Future Soldiers from five Eastern states got a taste of Army life at the Albany Recruiting Battalion’s Mega Future Soldier event May 16 at Watervliet Arsenal.
The event kicked off with a 10th Combat Aviation Brigade UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter landing and featured a squad of infantrymen, weapons from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, military policemen and their working dogs from the 91st Military Police Company, explosive ordnance disposal technicians from the 63rd EOD Battalion, food service specialists from the 10th Sustainment Brigade and an M-1 Abrams tank static display.
“The purpose behind this event is to let Future Soldiers who have enlisted, but not yet shipped to basic combat training, get a taste and a sense of what it’s like to be around professional Army Soldiers,” said Lt. Col. Michael D. Coleman, Albany Recruiting Battalion commander. He also said this outing was productive for his Future Soldiers.
“To allow somebody who volunteered to be a helicopter mechanic to actually be able to see a helicopter is a great recruiting tool and also lets that person talk about it when they get home,” Coleman said.
Through the Total Army Involvement in Recruiting (TAIR) Program, Albany Battalion has built a relationship with the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum. Soldiers hope to build upon the success of Saturday’s engagement by conducting similar events in the months to come.
“Being a part of today’s display and showcasing our aircraft is exciting for us as well,” said Capt. Andrew Hicks, a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter pilot from the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade. “We are proud of our unit, our equipment and what we do. I feel we owe it to the Army to be good ambassadors and get involved in the recruiting process wherever we can.”
Coleman said the TAIR program not only helps USAREC recruit the best and brightest Future Soldiers, but allows recruiters to stay connected and involved with their MOSs.
Albany Recruiting Battalion recruiters and Future Soldiers smile for the camera at a Mega Future Soldier event May 16, at the Watervliet Arsenal.