AFJROTC Events Update

The cadets at Homewood High School (HHS) AFJROTC have been working hard through the summer and the first nine weeks this school year.  In June, 9 cadets attended the JCLC JROTC at Fort McClellan. This camp was a 5 day mini-camp where cadets got to experience a mock military boot camp. Cadets learned valuable leadership skills as well as built friendships with other JROTC cadets around the state of Alabama. Pictured below is Cadet Michael Barber crossing a rope bridge in a ropes course class at the JCLC camp.

Later in the Summer, 6 of our cadets on the Honor Guard performed a flag folding ceremony for Oliver Robinson's Alabama Black Achievers Awards Gala. Featured below are HHS Cadets Ivan Aguilera, Jorge Aguilera, Bianca Juarez, Mike Hawkins, Mikaela Harris, and Killian Faulk with Jessica Tolbert.

HHS AFJROTC Cadets also performed a Color Guard ceremony for a Samford University home football game!  Below is Cadet Roger Castro with the University's Mascot and the Color Guard that performed at the game.

Approximately 50 total Senior and Freshmen cadets went to the Huntsville Space and Rocket Center for a field trip in September 2015. Cadets got to tour the museum and learn about the NASA space program.

On September 26th, several of our cadets partnered up with the HHS Environmental Club to clean up Shades Creek.  Below is a picture of the cadets after the cleanup...we made a HUGE impact!

   

HHS AFJROTC Cadet Michael Barber Takes Flight!!

      Select cadets have the opportunity to fly with local Alabama Civil Air Patrol (CAP) units as members of Homewood High School's AFJROTC program.

      In accordance with Headquarters AFJROTC guidance, as relayed from Maxwell Air Force Base, cadets can actually fly the aircraft in-flight but are limited to hands-on control manipulation above 1000' above ground level. This unique flying experience complements the JROTC Aerospace Science curriculum and provides cadets an incentive if they are considering a career as an aviator--be it as a military member or as a civilian pilot.

     The pictures you see were taken on May 23, 2015 when Cadet Michael Barber flew with our local Shelby County CAP unit.  Mike participated in pre-flight, flight and post-flight duties, aided by his CAP Instructor Lt Col (Retired) Austin Landry.  In the end, he learned a great deal about what it takes to be a pilot in today's society.  The flight was approximately 1 hour in length, where he performed slow-flight maneuvers, flew over downtown Birmingham and was able to participate in touch-and-go landings.

    The Cadet Orientation Flight Program’s primary goal is to introduce youth to general aviation through hands-on orientation flights in single engine aircraft and gliders.  Colonel Paul, Homewood's AFJROTC Senior Aerospace Science Instructor, anticipates that there will be more opportunities to fly with Civil Air Patrol next academic year, starting in Fall 2015 and into Spring 2016.