Alma students visit 188th Wing

by Senior Airman Cody Martin
188th Wing Public Affairs

7/7/2015 - Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Arkansas-- -- Students from the Alma School District attending Camp Airedale visited Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Fort Smith, Arkansas for tours of the base and an inside look of the 188th Wing's conversion to the remotely piloted aircraft and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions  June 10 through 24, 2015.

Visiting the base provides campers the opportunity to view the 188th Wing history and to learn about how their local Air National Guard uses their current mission to protect them from threats outside the United States.

Camp Airedale is a new summer learning program for the Alma School District students that are in grades Kindergarten through 8th Grade. It has a curriculum centered on experienced-based activities and uses more out-of-classroom and off-campus activities than are available during the typical school year.

"Visiting the base can have a significant impact on them," said 2nd Lt. Jake Tidwell, 188th Wing assistant executive officer. "It demonstrates just how technical our jobs can be and that in order to succeed; you're going to need a good education."

After arriving on base, the campers were taken to see display aircraft from the 188th's previous missions. The kids were then given a briefing from Senior Master Sgt. Carl Schneider, 188th Intelligence Support Squadron cyber systems superintendent.

After the first briefing, the campers sat in on another with the 188th Operations Group, where they also were able to use the RPA flight simulator. To end the day campers visited with Airmen at Ebbing Lake, casting a few lines, catching a few fish.

"This was a wonderful experience for all of our kids, several of them have never been fishing or visited a facility like this," expressed Jan Miller, 5th grade teacher at Alma School District. "They got to learn about the planes and everything going on at the base. They were thrilled to be here."