Several Club youth from the Main Branch took an exciting field trip to the National Guard Armory this week! Not only did Club members get to eat pizza and receive a free water bottle, soldiers from the National Guard provided an informational background on the history and mission of the National Guard, and how the Guard can benefit youth educationally and with their future career paths.

Energy levels soared through the roof as the boys and girls headed to three different stations! Stations included a night vision obstacle course, US weapons (unloaded, of course) and a fully equipped and armored Humvee. A soldier at each station taught the youth about the equipment, how it’s used, and how to operate it safely.

From competing to see who could finish the night vision course the fastest, to wearing army vests and getting the opportunity to safely handle US weapons – with no ammunition and while the soldiers were present–this experience gave Club members the ability to explore and discover whatever they’d like. Youth could ask the soldiers any questions they wanted – even on unrelated topics, like if they had any pets at home! This helped them learn about the Guard, the soldiers, their experiences.

Youth Development Professional, Josh McDonald, who organized the field trip, made sure to reiterate to each of the groups that although the field trip was all about fun and the opportunity to learn, the army equipment that they saw was not a toy. He explained that significant military training is required to operate the vehicles and weapons.

The partnership with the National Guard supports the Club in that both groups share common values and support the same priority outcomes: academic success, healthy lifestyles and good character and citizenship. The LDRSHIP values of the army (loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, personal courage) parallel and overlap with the Words of the Month from Cowboy Ethics, sharing the concepts of Duty, Honor, Respect, and Personal Courage. This basis gives youth the opportunity to see how the lessons taught at the Club transition into their adult lives. This field trip and the activities chosen for Club members  to participate in is just one way the Club fulfills its unstoppable mission of guiding youth to reach their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens.