Air Force takes ROTC students under its wing
Refueling missions give teens insights into military work
BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer

The ROTC cadets got this bird's-eye view of the refueling operation, and the world below, by lying on their stomachs near the rear of the aircraft.

OLD BRIDGE- Through their hard work and focus, a group of Air Force Junior ROTC cadets at the high school were pronounced clear for takeoff.

Col. Randall Lanning and Chief Master Sgt. Thomas Pitzer, instructors of the ROTC program, teamed up five years ago in order to give students an opportunity to fly with theAir Force on operational air refuelingmissions at McGuireAir Force Base, Burlington County.

"Before I went on the plane, I really didn't know what to expect," said Jewel Sales, a sophomore in the program. "It was like a once-in-a-lifetime chance for me. It really mademe think [about]what Iwanted to do in the future."

The Air Mobility Wing and the 108th Air Refueling Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard have each played host to flights with the students for the past several years. They operate theKC-10 Extender andKC-135 Stratotanker, respectively.

Air refueling missions consist of special refueling aircraft flying close enough to another aircraft to be able to supply fuel inmidair.An air-refueling boomoperator has the task of controlling the equipment that provides fuel to the other aircraft, aswell as directing the other aircraft to a position where it can receive the fuel.

The 13 cadets from Old Bridge High School's ROTC program who recently flew with the Air Force on air refueling missions are pictured inside a KC-135.

The ROTC cadets get a bird's-eye viewof the refueling by taking turns lying on their stomachs next to the boomoperator in the area near the rear-bottomof the aircraft. From there, they can look out at the world below, sometimes even catching glimpses of the receiving pilot's face.

"I've never known that planes could get that close to each other," Sales said.

Some students are also able to look at the innerworkings of the cockpit.

Melany Helmer, a freshman, was chosen as one of two cadets who got to visit the cockpit during the most recent flight, since the larger group of students did not allow for everyone to go. Members of the Air Force allowed the two youngest students to have the opportunity, Helmer said.

Though freshmen are usually not included in the flights, Helmer was given the spot by an older student who was unable to attend.

"This is very much a cadet-run program," Lanning said. "By and large, we let the kids decide who gets to fly."

Students are chosen through criteria such as grades, behavior and performance within the ROTC program, according to Lanning. Along with getting parental permission to take part in the flights, cadets must also obtain signatures from each of their teachers. To ensure their readiness, they must also pass a verbal examination before flying.

Lanning said they are typically able to get two flights in for each school year, with a group of between 15 and 20 students on each. The most recent mission in which students took part was Feb. 14.

"It was the best Valentine's Day I ever had," Jalak Patel, a sophomore, said.

Patel said her parents would like her to become a pilot, and after experiencing the flight, she considers it one of her goals. "I never had interest in joining the military," Patel said.

"[Now] I'm getting to see a taste of what I could have in the future."

Chris Kosmyna, who took part in two of the flights, agreed.

"It shows you the opportunities you actually have in theAir Force," he said.

Katie Arzig, a senior, gleaned more than valuable knowledge aboutAir Force operations from her flight. It was her first-ever time flying.

"I was kind of clutching on the seat,"Arzig said.

Despite her initial nervousness,Arzig spoke fondly of the experience and what it taught her.

Pitzer pointed out that boom operators are typically young,which also teaches the cadets a valuable lesson. If something goes wrong while refueling, both planes involved could be lost, he said.

"It's a high-responsibility job," Pitzer said. "It really shows kids the transformation over a couple of years, going fromzero responsibility tomassive responsibility."

Students are not the only ones able to enjoy the thrill of going on the flights. Faculty, staff and administrators also got the opportunity to fly on a mission Sept. 13.

Unfortunately for the students, the flight scheduled for April 4 was canceled. According to Pitzer, opportunities for the students to fly with theAir Force are becoming few and far between because of their increased operations tempo.

Other factors can get in the way of cadets' ability to become airborne, such as aircraft maintenance, or even weather conditions.Although rough weather would not stop the Air Force from embarking on a mission, conditions are taken into account when students are involved, Lanning said.

"Jupiter really has to align with Mars to make these things happen," Lanning said.