South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

Military children to participate in Warrior for a Day program at JB

Children of Missouri National Guardsmen will get a chance to experience what their parents do while in uniform during the Guard’s Warrior for a Day program at Jefferson Barracks Aug. 2.

An annual event organized by the Guard’s Family Program Office, Warrior for a Day is an opportunity for military children ages 6 to 16 to experience military life by participating in hands-on demonstrations and other activities. More than 50 children, mostly from the St. Louis area, are expected to participate this year.

“The cool thing about the Warrior for a Day program is that Army Guard kids get to learn about the Air National Guard and Air Guard kids get to learn about the Army National Guard,” Christine Betcher, of Mascoutah, Ill., an Air Force veteran and family readiness support assistant for the Army Guard’s 70th Troop Command, stated in a news release.

“It really is a lot of fun,” added Virginia Todd, of Hillsboro, a family program volunteer and retired Air Guard technical sergeant who spent 30 years in the military. “The kids will get a demonstration about what World War II veterans carried in their ruck sacks, and they will get to see what kind of protective gear is worn by soldiers of a chemical company.”

Other activities include touring an Army Black Hawk helicopter that will land on the Jefferson Barracks parade field Thursday morning. The children also will be treated to a tour of the Jefferson Barracks Heritage Foundation Museum and the Joint Armed Forces Reserve Center.

“The kids will also get to see and use an Army weapons simulator and we will have a soldier break down an M-16 rifle and put it back together,” Todd stated in the release. “They will also learn about various Army and Air Force vehicles in the parking lot.”

Upon conclusion of the day-long program, each child will receive a certificate of completion from Missouri Air Guard Col. Richard L. Chapman, acting commander of the 157th Air Operations Group, and Lt. Col. Christopher W. Mickan, Troop Command administrative officer.