Academy cadets visit RAF Mildenhall, gain perspective on Air Force life

  • Published
  • By Tech Sgt. Austin May
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  To better understanding the operational Air Force, a group of U.S. Air Force Academy cadets visited Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, in the first half of June 2015.

The cadets, all between their sophomore and junior years at the Academy, are given the opportunity to allow them to make an informed decision when they select their Air Force specialties, receive mentorship from leaders, and spend time with the enlisted force, said Capt. Remington Barnes, 100th Operations Support Squadron Mission Development Flight commander from Dallas, Oregon.

"They have not put in their choices for the [Air Force Specialty Codes] yet, so this is a chance for us to 'show and tell' them what some of the different options out there are all about," Barnes said. "For some of the cadets who don't come from a military background, this could be the only exposure to the Air Force that they get outside of the Academy, so it has been very important to the [team] here to ensure that they get a broad exposure to what the Air Force is like outside of the Academy's walls."

Barnes added that even for those cadets who do come from a military background, the visit is a healthy exposure to the various career fields in the Air Force, and can help the cadets make a decision on the direction in which they would like to take their career.

The cadets who came to RAF Mildenhall have mostly, through their chosen academic studies, expressed interest in the Special Operations career field, Barnes said. In addition to the visit, they'll take part in a follow-on exercise with the Royal Air Force where they will go through leadership exercises with RAF members as a way to increase their leadership skills and network with some of the United States' allies.

"The cadets are getting exposed to many different parts of the Air Force, from special operations, to maintenance, to various mission support elements," he said. "They have gotten to fly on the MC-130J [Commando II] and the KC-135R [Stratotanker]."

Barnes added the time the cadets have spent with officers and noncommissioned officers has been beneficial to them.

"The cadets have taken away some lessons that will hopefully make their transition from cadet to second lieutenant go that much more smoothly," Barnes said.