CREECH AIR FORCE BASE, Nevada -- Cadets from the Reserve Officer Training Corps Detachment 004, University of Las Vegas, visited Creech Air Force, Nevada, March 11, 2016.
During the tour, the students learned about remotely piloted aircraft capabilities to gain a better understanding of the operations at the base. The visit consisted of a mission briefing, lunch and a tour of the 11th Reconnaissance Squadron hangar, where they were provided valuable feedback to questions about RPAs.
Capt. William, 11th RS MQ-1 pilot, said base tours help raise awareness of the RPA mission here and abroad. The briefing included video feed taken of the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper in action, and provided additional information for the soon-to-be officers to consider when choosing a career field.
“A lot of the cadets were really surprised to see the kind of impact we have, and how many different mission sets we operate in,” William said. “As we remove the veil, the mystery behind what we do develops interest and officers take an interest in a future in the RPA community.”
Cadet Lt. Col. Joseph, Detachment 004 Mission Support Group cadet commander, was recently selected to become an RPA pilot at Creech and said the tour helped him gain a better idea of the career field he will soon be a part of.
“When I first joined the ROTC program, I thought RPAs were interesting and that’s the job I wanted the most,” Joseph said. “The tour gave me a chance to talk to a pilot who flies them. He answered many of the questions I had about the job and I got to see firsthand how RPAs are shaping the Air Force.”
Joseph is slated to commission in the fall and aspires to make a 20 year career out of the Air Force.
William said it is important to help people understand what the mission is at Creech and the real-time engagement members are able to provide.
“It’s important that people understand what we’re doing here and that we’re able to provide critical, real-time support,” William said. “Being a part of the reason why we meet wartime objectives is really incredible and I think it’s that exposure of the RPA world that is vital to recruiting members into this growing community.”