Lajes students are military members for a day

Published May 4, 2012
By Kennedy Lewis
Lajes Elementary School 5th grade student

LAJES FIELD, Portugal -- More than 150 Lajes Field students got to work on base doing military and civilian jobs for a day on April 26.

The event was for the Job Shadow and Mentor Day. It started out with a briefing by Col. Arch Bruns, 65th Mission Support Group commander, followed by a snack and then students and their mentors got to take a bus to their offices. The middle and high students chose which office they wanted to shadow, while the third through fifth graders shadowed their parents.

"It felt very good to show my children what I actually do," said Staff Sgt. Chad Hicks, 65th Comptroller Squadron financial analyst.

Hicks had both of his daughters shadow him in his office.

"Everyday my children see me put on my uniform and I kiss them goodbye before they go to school. They never get to see the fullness of what I do or what we in the military do for our country. Today I was able to show them just a glimpse of what we experience," said Hicks.

Students got to shadow various jobs from military and civilian personnel, ranging from the weather flight to the fire department.

"I enjoyed the cookies and being with my daddy," said Sariah Billman, 9, a third grader who shadowed her father Andrew Billman, 65th Air Base Wing historian.

At about 9:30 a.m. shadow day took an unexpected turn when the crisis action team, which Sariah refers to as the "Kitty", was activated.

"It was fun going to the meeting," Sariah said.

During the "Kitty" meeting, leadership along with their shadows were notified of an exercise deployment order for all middle and high school students.

About 70 students were processed through a mock mobility line. The students were yelled at by Master Sgt. Christopher Ramsdell, 65th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels superintendent, who used his military training instructor voice to enforce discipline as the students proceeded from the buses to the logistics readiness squadron to get their mobility gear and briefing.

"The event was a great success," said Master Sgt. Frank Berrones, 65th Logistics Readiness Squadron and military liaison for the Job Shadow and Mentor Day.

"Toderick Stevens, a Lajes High School senior who shadowed the vice wing commander, stood out to me most because he dressed the part by wearing a suit. Both him and Chandler Bruns, another Lajes High School senior, did a great job taking charge and doing their job as chalk commanders for their respective chalks," said Berrones.

There were some students who had to chose between parents because both parents worked on base.

"I thought it would be fun to shadow my dad for a day," said Marcus Robinson, 11, Lajes Elementary School fifth grader.

Marcus Robinson had the opportunity to shadow his mother Shirley Robinson, 65th Operational Support Squadron secretary, or his dad, Tech. Sgt. Alan Robinson, 65th Mission Support Group commander support staff NCO in charge.

"It made me feel good that he wanted to shadow me and it was fun to show my son what I do every day," said Tech. Sgt. Alan Robinson.

The Job Shadow and Mentor program is a national event called "Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day." The event is an educational program that gives parents a day to bring their children to work and show them what they do.

Editor's Note: Kennedy Lewis, 10, daughter of Tech. Sgt. Chyrece Campbell, 65th Air Base Wing Public Affairs, had the opportunity to actually do her mother's job during Job Shadow and Mentor Day. During the day's exercise she visited with the crisis action team and took notes as her mother would, shot approximately 300 photos of the deploying children, uploaded photos onto the Lajes official Facebook page, interviewed students of the Job Shadow and Mentor Day and then wrote this article for publication.