Base tour inspires JROTC cadets

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Erik Hofmeyer
  • 482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. --  Almost every hand in the room rose after an F-16 pilot asked 35 Hialeah High School Air Force Junior ROTC cadets if they wanted to become pilots. 

The cadets were on a tour of Homestead Air Reserve Base on Jan. 11, taking part in one of two tours the base offers each month for students and community organizations to learn about the Air Force Reserve mission. 

A briefing by an F-16 pilot opened the three-hour tour, with students peppering the pilot with questions about what it takes to fly fighter jets. 

The briefing was followed by visits from Security Forces personnel and Air Force Reserve recruiters. 

The students then walked to an F-16 fighter jet to snap photos and climb up and peer into the cockpit. 

The next stop was the best view on the base: the aircraft control tower. The students learned about the complexities of air traffic control and got a bird's eye view of 482nd Fighter Wing and tenant units including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Florida Air National Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team Miami (91114) and U.S. Special Operations Command South. 

Fire and emergency services technicians opened the fire station for a tour of the fire, crash and recovery trucks and equipment. Technicians on duty challenged two cadets to try to don all safety equipment firefighters wear while responding to fires in less than one minute. 

The cadets who volunteered were unsuccessful but, nonetheless, the exercise was an entertaining cap to the tour.