Rebecca Westlake, vice director of 88 Air Base Wing provided opening remarks, telling students how important Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is to the Miami Valley region. In addition to sharing that Wright-Patt is the largest single-site employer in the state of Ohio, she explained this base is one of the largest and most diverse bases in the Air Force. Westlake encouraged the students to ask questions and do their best to learn from the subject matter experts on hand for the event.
Wright-Patt organizations that participated in the event included: Civilian Personnel’s Human Resources Section; Education and Training; Airman and Family Readiness Center; School Liaison Officer; 88th Air Base Wing Communications Group; Air Force Life Cycle Management Center; Air Force Research Laboratory; National Air and Space Intelligence Center; Air Force Institute of Technology; and U.S. Air Force ROTC.
Community Education Partners from Dayton Montgomery County’s Youth Career Services (Youth Works) also talked to the students about skills they would need as they prepare to enter today’s workforce.
In addition to visiting exhibits showcasing Wright-Patterson’s diverse mission, tour guides from the Air Force Civil Engineering Center escorted students to base environmental sites (Groundwater Treatment Facility, Granulated Activated Charcoal Units, and the Recycling Center) to show how STEM learning has been converted to real-world applications. Students also were treated to a drone display and military working dog demonstration.
Base Chaplain (Col.) Ted Wilson addressed the topic of “diversity” and why it’s important to talk about differences and inclusion in our society. Using the phrase “No pain, no gain,” Wilson encouraged the students to start analyzing their inner thoughts and feelings, and to begin ridding themselves of negative thoughts and behaviors. He emphasized diversity in the workforce is to be embraced and negative energy is detrimental to a healthy and positive lifestyle.
Participating students were from Beavercreek, Mad River, Fairborn, Dayton Regional Stem Center, Vandalia Butler, Dayton Early College Academy, Springfield Emmanuel, Springfield City, Carroll High School, Miami Valley Academics, Sinclair Community College and Wright State University.
About the Author