German cultural exchange students visit D-M

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cheyenne Morigeau
  • 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz --  Buena Vista High school students and cultural exchange students from Redebeul, Germany, toured D-M April 23.

The 30 students went to three units learning about the Air Force and the missions here in a hands-on environment.

The students first received a mission briefing of the 563rd Rescue Group from Capt. Jaymes Hines, 563rd RQG executive.

"The biggest take away and message I wanted to impart was how the United States Air Force integrates and relies on our Combined and Joint partners," Hines said. "Specifically for the students, I wanted to make sure that they continue to keep an open mind about their futures and hopefully I was able to inspire or spark an interest in not just military careers but science and technology in general."

After learning about the rescue mission the students were able to visit the 357th Fighter squadron where they were educated on the A-10C Thunderbolt II. They watched a video that displayed the A-10's capabilities and then were able to sit in the aircraft.

"I felt overwhelmed by the amount of knowledge pilots need to know in order to fly but the experience was eye opening and very interesting," said Sam Finney, Sierra Vista Unified School District student.

To conclude the base visit, the students went up into the air traffic control tower.

"The students enjoyed themselves very much," said Randi Buros, Sierra Vista Sister Cities Commission member. "Especially getting to see the inside of an Air Force base to see some of the equipment and get up close with experts to explain it."