West Mifflin Area School District AFJROTC (Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps) members recently went on an invaluable trip to San Antonio, Texas, and met one of their own, too.
Along the way of visiting various Air Force bases from April 3-7, AFJROTC members were able to meet up with West Mifflin alumni Major Jordan Criss, now a commander of the Department of Defense working military dog program for all branches of the armed forces.
“Mr. Criss provided words of inspiration to all cadets in attendance with a focus on attendance, academics, discipline and the importance of a positive attitude,” said Senior Master Sgt. Oreste “Otis” DiCerbo, who heads the district’s AFJROTC program. “He also stressed the importance of setting personal and professional goals and working hard to achieve what you desire in life.”
Major Criss started in the district’s AFJROTC program as a cadet Airman and progressed to Cadet Senior Master Sergeant and First Sergeant, a key cadet leadership position. Currently, he is in charge of the global training and mission of preparing dog handlers and dogs for military missions
Beyond meeting with Major Criss, AFJROTC members visited the Lackland Air Force Base. 571 Airmen graduated from basic training during the visit. Along the way, AFJROTC members took a visit to the caverns and to a safari in San Antonio. Additionally, they visited the Randolph Air Force Base for fighter pilot training programs with the T-38 aircraft, and also got a private invitation to observe the Thunderbirds. Further, a visit to the Airman Museum covered flight history from beginning to modern flight.
In total, the trip was a highly valuable experience, opening AFJROTC members’ eyes to a number of opportunities.
“The main takeaway for AFJROTC cadets was career exploration and seeing the many career possibilities available to graduates,” said Sgt. DiCerbo. “They also experienced the professionalism of the best Air Force in the world by meeting commanders, staff members, pilots and other professionals explaining their roles and missions to the Air and Space Force.”