Airmen help conclude JROTC training week Published July 26, 2013 By Airman 1st Class Stephan Coleman 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Bringing an end to the annual Leadership Laboratory Activity, five outstanding Airmen from the 334th Training Squadron spoke to high school Junior ROTC cadets July 25 about the benefits of the Air Force. The panel of Airmen summed up the cadet's week of attending class at the Mathies NCO Academy, learning about the Air Force's core values, leadership, speech delivery and time management in a single question and answer session. "Hearing from student Airmen is beneficial for these high school students because they get that fresh perspective," said Tech. Sgt. Michael Goodwin, MNCOA instructor. "They get to hear about the Air Force from the most basic level; Airmen that were just like them only months before now." Airmen 1st Class Marc Montgomery and Kibby Werner; Airmen Kandis Bob, David Soutar and Thomas Weaver, all air traffic control students, formed the panel for the 138 cadets to ask questions about the Air Force and the Airmen's respective experiences. "Attaining the future you want is going to take determination," said Soutar, "And making the decision to do what is right, surrounding yourself with the right friends and having goals - it all starts now." Along with the young Airmen, personnel from all over the base volunteered their time as instructors and speakers -- Kenneth Dodd, the base historian; 2nd Lt. Catherine Chan, a nurse in the 81st Inpatient Operations Squadron; Master Sgt. James Bunce, 81st Dental Squadron superintendent; Senior Airman Robert Chambers, 81st Diagnostics and Therapeutics X-ray technician; and Staff Sgt. Sharde Jones, an instructor in the 334th Training Squadron. Chief Master Sgt. Edward Bradley, 2nd Air Force's military training leader functional; Master Sgts. Courtney King, MNCOA, and Charles Sargent, 338th TRS; and Tech. Sgts. Rebecca Sargent and Christopher Smiley from MNCOA helped the cadets with physical training every morning at 5 a.m. to give them a taste of military PT expectations. "The cadets are from multiple states," said Goodwin. "Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi students were selected from their peers by their respective JROTC leadership to participate in the annual Leadership Laboratory Activity here. It's a great learning opportunity for them, and hopefully gives them a good idea of the benefits the Air Force provides." The cadets left Keesler July 26 after a parade on the Triangle parade field and a graduation from the MNCOA program at Welch Theater.