Local school boys attend Tuskegee Airman Career Day

  • Published
  • By Michael Dukes
  • 315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Seventy eight from 13 Lowcountry high schools braved chilly winds and wet weather to visit Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina Feb. 20 to learn about jobs in aviation as part of the 315th Airlift Wing’s 5th Annual Tuskegee Airmen Career Day

This year’s guest speaker was Col. Terrence Adams, 628th Air Base Wing commander.  Adams spoke to the young men about how he grew up in Tuskegee, Alabama.  He explained his decision to join the military and various milestones in his career.

This was the first year that the career day offered an essay contest, which asked attendees to write about an inspiring pilot.  This year’s winners were:

1st - $100 scholarship - John Murray, R.B. High School

2nd - $75 scholarship - Max Coria, R.B. Stall High School

3rd - $50 scholarship - Joshua McKinley-Hill, Summerville High School

The boys also toured a C-17 Globemaster III where they met loadmasters, pilots and aeromedical technicians who explained their duties on the jet.

In the nose dock hangar, the boys were fed a pizza lunch and they toured career tables, which included 315th Security Forces members, 628th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight, recruiters from each military branch, representatives from Boeing and various colleges.

Tuskegee Airmen were instrumental to victory over Germany during World War II, they also represent other victories as well. The 996 African American pilots and more than 15,000 ground personnel who served with these units flew more than 15,500 combat sorties and earned more than 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses.

The career day was part of the efforts of the 315th Airlift Wing to encourage young men to explore opportunities in aviation and to commemorate Black History Month.

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