Los Alamos NJROTC Cadets present the colors for the Colorado Avalanche Ice Hockey team during a spring break trip to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Photo Courtesy NJROTC
Los Alamos NJROTC C/LCDR Hayden Sutton climbs into an Air Force glider during a recent trip to Colorado Springs Air Force Academy. Photo Courtesy NJROTC
Cadets tour the Wings of Blue facilities at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Photo Courtesy NJROTC
Cadets learn about the history of flight at the Wings Over the Rockies Museum. Photo Courtesy NJROTC
BY CHIEF PETTY OFFICER ARON AYERS
Senior Naval Science Instructor
LAHS NJROTC
Over Spring Break, cadets from Los Alamos NJROTC traveled to Colorado to put eyes and
hands on what they have been learning about in the classroom throughout the year.
While there, they had the opportunity to tour the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Cadets toured the Academy’s 98th Flying Training Squadron, otherwise known as the Wings of Blue Parachute Team. The Air Force professionals demonstrated how to properly pack a parachute and also showcased their glider program. The Academy has the largest glider operation in the world and uses it to familiarize second-year cadets with aircraft controls and
introduce them to military aviation. NJROTC cadets also visited the Wings Over the Rockies Air
and Space Museum in Denver, taking a guided tour through the history of flight.
“The tour of the Air Force Academy showed me a lot about the different things that the Academy has to offer. I believe the coolest part was the gyms and all the different facilities they have for each sport,” said C/LCDR Emily Baca. “The Wings Over the Rockies Museum showed how aviation has evolved over the years. It was interesting to learn how having different attributes made flying different on each plane and how they can look the same but serve different purposes.”
The highlight of the trip for cadets was attending an NHL hockey game between the Colorado Avalanche and New York Rangers. Cadets C/LTJG Hayden Kim, C/SCPO Aspen Jaramillo, C/PO1 Kaelin Hanson, and C/CDR Josh Danforth took part in a color guard at the game, presenting our national colors for over 18,000 fans in attendance.
“Being on the ice with the hockey players was an amazing opportunity. Taking part in the color guard for the game was such a cool, once-in-a-lifetime experience that I only would’ve been able to participate in with NJROTC,” said C/PO1 Kaelin Hanson.