Parkway Junior ROTC kicks off educational program at 8 AF Museum

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Marcus McDonald
  • 8th Air Force Museum
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  Cadets and faculty from Parkway High School's Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Management of the Corps class began giving tours as part of a new educational program at the Eighth Air Force Museum.

Since January, 14 cadets have conducted research both in the classroom and at the museum to prepare for the Partners in Education Program at Barksdale, home of Air Force Global Strike Command.

"Our cadets felt it was important to help preserve the stories of courage, character and patriotism displayed by the men and women of the 8th Air Force," said retired Lt. Col. David Hadden, Senior Aerospace Science instructor at Parkway.

The joint venture has two objectives, the colonel said.

"We're teaching students how to shape mental structures when visiting museums, stimulating their curiosity and observation skill," Colonel Hadden said. "We're also building an extensive and lasting relationship between Bossier Parish Schools and the Eighth Air Force Musuem."

The cadets conducted research in the classroom three days a week with Thursday's classes taking place at the museum.

"During their research, the students found the scope of the museum to be extremely broad, so they limited their research to the birth of Lt. Eugene Hoy Barksdale in 1897 through the end of World War II," Colonel Hadden said.

Telling the Air Force story

Gary Miller, Eighth Air Force Museum director, said he's very pleased Parkway High School joined the museum's new educational program.

The program is a major part of the museum's mission of "telling the story of the American experience as reflected in the optimism, courage and sacrifice of those who serve," he said.

The Parkway cadets are helping us tell the Air Force story," Mr. Miller said. "We hope to capitalize on this partnership and widen this experience to others in the near future."

Cadet Col. Ashley Chappell, junior at Parkway, said it's a privilege to help tell their story as well as the story of Barksdale and the 2nd Bomb Wing.

"This project has given us an opportunity to study history, which is essential for good citizenship and is what our JROTC program is all about," she said.

Cadet 2nd Lt. Shay Jeter, senior at Parkway, said this program gave her and her fellow cadets a chance to give back to the community.

"At this stage of life, kids tend to get a lot," she said. "It was important for us to give back to the community just like the men and women of the Eighth Air Force gave throughout their history."

The road ahead

Bill Harris, AFGSC historian, said he envisioned great things happening at the Eighth Air Force Museum in the years ahead, especially as partnerships continue to grow with the local community and educational institutions.

"The museum has a great deal to offer the Barksdale military family, the Bossier City and Shreveport communities and the State of Louisiana," he said.

Mr. Harris said the lesson plans recently plans recently developed by Parkway JROTC students and their faculty are "truly a precedent."

"They represent an investment in telling the story of Barksdale, Eight Air Force and the birth of American Strategic Air Power in a format that other educators may use," he said. "Secondly, by telling the story themselves, the cadets are learning the art of interpreting historic facts using a combination of written materials and historic properties."

Museums are educational in nature, he said, and they provide great learning environments.

"People apply meaning to an event or objective based on the availability of evidence or information relating to the event or object," he said. "Without someone to tell us what an object or event was, they can quickly become irrelevant, lost in translation or even be misinterpreted. Museum education programs turn these curiosities into a story and guide the learner to correctly make links between objects and their meaning while simultaneously establishing an emotion connection to their own experiences."

Mr. Harris explained the importance of today's military museums.

"They help people establish the connections of 'what was' to 'what is'" he said. "Initially, the public may become familiar with the military through the media, personal story, a novel or other means. Museums continue to build on that familiarity as they seek to correctly interpret the military story and serve as a conduit to a public eager to learn more about their nation's military."