Earlier this month three of our faculty members were chosen to perform an airlift operation at Camp Ripley in the Fort Ripley and Little Falls area of Minnesota. The three members chosen were Austin Tollerson, Mike Johnson, and John Trihey. Mr. Tollerson is a Counselor, Mr. Johnson is an English teacher, and Mr. Trihey is a Special Education teacher.

The three faculty members were chosen just because they showed some interest in this experience, but it was open to all faculty members if they wanted to join in.

Camp Ripley
The state-owned 53,000 acre Camp Ripley is a multi-faceted training center that balances the needs of the military, state agencies and communities statewide. Camp Ripley serves as a world-class military training center for all branches and components of service. Minnesota State Agencies also rely on Camp Ripley’s exceptional facilities for training. Community interests across the spectrum of Minnesota life utilize Camp Ripley for its resources, expertise, and commitment to environmental stewardship.

The Army National Guard uses Camp Ripley as a training site and as an environmental area for animals. They have two different types of wolf packs, twenty-five black bears, and a large deer population.

This airlift was a great experience for these faculty members, because it gave them information about what the Army National Guard has to offer for teachers and students.

Army National Guard offers for teachers and students:

• Programs
• Scholarships
• Environmental field trips
• Information on the armed services
• More information on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Test

Mr. Tollerson says "the trip was very informational and the more teachers that go the better."
He also said "finding out all the information on what the National Guard has to offer" was the best part of the experience.

The plane that our faculty members were in was a C-130 Hercules. Sitting in a C-130 is not like an ordinary plane seat. You sit along the side of the plane and you are strapped in to seating nets. Even though you were strapped in you had to hold on to handles during the take off, because it had a very fast take off and during the quick stops it makes after it lands. The flight was very smooth and traveled at a speed of 240 knots at an elevation of 9,000 feet

The C-130 Hercules primarily performs the intratheater portion of the airlift mission. The aircraft is capable of operating from rough, dirt strips and is the prime transport for paradropping troops and equipment into hostile areas. Basic and specialized versions perform a diversity of roles, including airlift support, DEW Line and Arctic ice resupply, aeromedical missions, aerial spray missions, fire-fighting duties for the US Forest Service, and natural disaster relief missions. In recent years, they have been used to bring humanitarian relief to many countries, including Haiti, Bosnia, Somalia, and Rwanda.

Iraq Soldiers

At Camp Ripley our three faculty members met with troops from the Iraq war. Those troops were one of the first groups to secure the Baghdad Airport. The first U.S. plane to land at the airport was a C-130 with a Minnesota flag on the tail wing.

The troops talked about the climate in Iraq and during the summer it was around 120 degrees during the day and very cold at night. One of the main things that the soldiers missed was the lakes in northern Minnesota and the cool summer nights.

Our teachers were told that the Iraq War is a very high-tech War. Soldiers would go out on ATV's with large microphones and track down sound. If a shot was fired then the GPS system will relay the message to a satellite and from there it relays it back to base camp. After all of that a message is sent out and they take down the shooters.

At the end of the day, Mr. Tollerson, Mr. Johnson, and Mr. Trihey all found the experience to be fantastic and if given the opportunity, would jump at the chance to do it again. Not only was the trip to Camp Ripley educational about what the Army National Guard had to offer, it was also a chance for them to take part in something that the people at Camp Ripley do everyday for a living. Mr. Tollerson, Mr. Johnson, and Mr. Trihey experienced something they’ve never done before, and that shows you that there is always something out there for you to learn, no matter if you are a teacher or student.

-Pictures by Mr. Trihey

-Jared Almsted (PCSH Webteam)