Keesler teen benefits from camp experience

Published Aug. 17, 2011
By Airman 1st Class Heather Heiney
81st Training Wing Public Affairs

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- One of the teens who attended last month's Air Force Teen Leadership Camp is Marshall Downing, 15, a sophomore at Biloxi High School.

Marshall is the son of Vicki and Col. Glen Downing, 81st Training Wing vice commander.

"I learned useful leadership skills that can help me tremendously in the future when I am presented with a leadership role," Marshall said. "Some of the skills were effective communication, teamwork and understanding."

He said that his favorite part of the camp was the class on effective communication because it taught him to get his point across clearly by using an accurate vocabulary and knowing the goal to be accomplished.

"The most challenging part of the camp was engineering a bridge designed to drop different sized balls at different distances," Marshall said. "Our team had to use everyone's strength's in this challenge, and ultimately, due to our careful consideration, we were able to get more than 75 percent of the balls in the correct container."

In the future, Marshall is considering one of several career paths, including a pathologist, a serviceman in either the Air Force or Navy or a voice actor.

"The camp would be greatly beneficial to other teens here at Keesler," Marshall said.