Students from MacArthur Intermediate look at weapons used by Army Soldiers. Photo by Melissa House.
McArthur honor students taken on 'tactical' field trip
2nd CAB Soldiers spend day as partners in education
Virginia Reza, Monitor Staff
Soldiers of the 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 5th Brigade, 1st Armored Division (Army Evaluation Task Force), entertained and recognized more than 250 students from MacArthur Intermediate School Thursday for their academic achievements during a Partners in Education field trip at Oro Grande, N.M.
The A-B honor-roll students, ranging from kindergarten to eighth graders, were enlightened on the different weapons and equipment Soldiers use. The children had the opportunity to rotate through five locations, including a night vision device station where they had the opportunity to wear the goggles and experience what Soldiers see when entering a dark room in hostile environments. The students also rode on a Bradley, climbed on an Abrams battle tank and handled M16s, machine guns and other weapons. They ate Meals Ready to Eat, tried on bullet-proof vests and helmets and watched two anti-tank missile live fires during their visit.
“After seeing the faces on these children today,” said Staff Sgt. Gregory Scott Davis, 2nd CAB, “I think this is one of the best things we could have absolutely done for the school. These children are really enjoying themselves.”
Lt. Col. Ed House, 2nd CAB commander, said approximately 100 of his Soldiers tutor and mentor students at MacArthur at least one hour each week under the Partners in Education program. House said there is a low percentage of military children in the school, therefore most of them have not been exposed to the Army.
“This is an opportunity for (students) to come out here and see what Soldiers do,” said House. “A tank is something they see on TV and today they will get to ride on a Bradley.We just want to show the kids a good time for their accomplishments.”
Diego Meza, 5, looks through the scope of a .50-caliber machine gun Thursday as Staff Sgt. James Sartain, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 5th Brigade, 1st Armored Division (Army Evaluation Task Force), watches over him. Meza, who suffers from a birth defect affecting his organs, was the honorary battalion commander for the day. Meza was promoted as an Army captain last year. He hopes to someday become an Army Soldier. Photo by Melissa House.
Leticia Guerra-Ramirez, principal at MacArthur School, said the students participating in the event would go back and share their experiences with other students and hopefully inspire them to do well and earn good grades for future trips. She said the trip was a morale booster for the honor students. It confirmed that hard work does pay off, she said.
“This year as well as last year, we had great participation from the military,” Guerra-Ramirez said. “The military has enhanced our campus. They come in to serve as mentors to our kids and to serve as volunteers for our district. Today is a perfect example of the many exciting things they bring to our campus.”
Lauren Pena, a sixth grader at the school, said the night vision station was her favorite because it allowed her to see enemies in the dark. She described the Bradley ride as bumpy and loud. Pena said she would tell her friends who did not make the A-B honor roll to work harder because the trip was awesome. She said people in the military were “cool” and thanked them for taking the time to reward them for their efforts.
“They are really nice people to take the time to bring us out here and show us what they do and give us a tour,” Pena said. “I realize they have to carry heavy equipment and thank them for having to go through all this and fighting for our country.”
Capt. Noah Hanners, 2nd CAB, said the Partners in Education program has been extremely valuable for his Soldiers.
“It has been a blessing in disguise,” Hanners said. “They looked at it as work in the beginning, and as they’ve done it more, they are excited to do it every week. They have fun with it, and I think the students get a lot out of it also.”