SRU cadets soar to training
Slippery Rock University’s Army ROTC junior cadets hitched a ride aboard four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to Ohio for a training last month.
Twenty students involved in the program took off from the university’s intramural playing fields March 24, bound for Combined Field Training Exercise, or CFTX, at Camp Garfield Joint Military Training Center in Ravenna, Ohio.
This is the second time SRU students have had the opportunity to experience the helicopters, according to a news release. The flight lasted 45 minutes, with the Black Hawks reaching speeds of up to 140 miles per hour.
The rides were courtesy of the Pennsylvania National Guard. The transports added to the National Guard pilots’ flight hours for Readiness Level Progression training so they can eventually fly the helicopters during missions.
Flights in the Black Hawks also prepared SRU cadets for their summer training at Fort Knox, Ky., an event attended by more than 10,000 cadets from other states.
"This is more of a thrill factor for the cadets, and we're grateful to have a good relationship with the National Guard," said Lt. Col. Jennifer Martin, professor of military science and head of SRU's ROTC program. "Whenever (soldiers) are deployed, this is how you get from base to base. I've ridden in many Black Hawks because that's the easiest way to get around. But unless you're deployed or you're an aviator, you're not going to have many opportunities like this."
