Westbury students were wowed as the high school athletic fields were used as a makeshift landing pad for U.S. Navy helicopters as a part of Fleet Week 2016 festivities last week.
Fleet Week is an annual U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard tradition which entails active military ships docking in a number of major cities for one week. According to Rich Immarigeon, a retired Navy officer and Naval Science Instructor of Westbury High School’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program, the ships docked in New York City graciously accepted the high school’s invitation to send a few helicopters and Naval personnel to visit on May 26.
“This is the fourth time we’ve done the helicopter landing here at Westbury High School,” he said. “We have three helicopters coming out here today…two MH-60’s, which are used for search and rescue, anti-submarine warfare and drug interdiction. We have an MH-53 coming as well, which is used for mine countermeasures as well as cargo transport. We want to give the kids a chance to see what aviation was like, talk to the crews, and learn a little bit about what the military does.”
With a Navy band providing a rousing soundtrack to the action, Westbury students gathered on the school’s massive athletic fields and watched as the three helicopters touched down; once the blades stopped whirling, they were given the OK to approach the aircraft, take pictures and chat with the pilots.
“We feel it’s very important to show the taxpayers and the citizens of this country what the U.S. Navy is doing for them, and there’s no better way than for them to see our high-end equipment,” said U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Jeff Hughes. “But really, it’s about giving kids a chance to meet our people and show them an opportunity they might want to pursue…a career that can help them realize their full potential.”
Not many Long Island schools can boast of an event of this caliber, according to Westbury JROTC teacher Kevin Bedard, himself a retired Marine.
“There aren’t many schools that get this kind of treatment, but fortunately we have a nice big back porch here for them the land and we’re close in proximity to New York City, which allows us to get the helicopters here,” Bedard said. “We don’t get them every year, but we request them every year and they send them every two or three years.”
The JROTC program—which has no military commitment afterwards—uses the military model of leadership training to help instill values such as honor, courage, commitment, integrity and responsibility to help create better citizens. Westbury senior Eileen Cortez is the commanding officer of the Westbury JROTC, and said that after she graduates this year she’s planning on joining the U.S. Army Reserve.
“It’s definitely taught me responsibility and leadership…whenever I go into other programs, they always noticed my leadership and I credit the JROTC for helping me develop as a human being,” Cortez said. “The helicopter landing here today gives me a completely different perspective, especially talking to the pilots, because they seem much more than a lot of other military members do. It’s a really amazing experience.”
Alex Vasquez is a lieutenant in the JROTC. A senior now, he first joined the program in the ninth grade and said that he is heading right into the U.S. Marines upon graduation.
“I’ve always been very interested in the military, and this is been a great opportunity for me…it’s really set me on the way to my career,” Vasquez said. “It’s so great getting to meet the men and women of our military today, especially the pilots since I’m in love with aviation.”
Principal Manuel Arias noted that the Navy Fleet Week landing doesn’t just appeal to JROTC members, but all Westbury students in one way or another.
“This is a great way to get students interested in careers that go beyond the military…for example, engineering, aeronautics, civil aviation and so on,” he said. “The kids can get hands-on with the military in their equipment, ask questions of the soldiers and pilots. Even our political students can get involved by speaking with Admiral Hughes about geopolitical strategies, so it’s a good thing all around and we’re very proud.”
