Students and teachers from 15 school districts in four counties surrounding Fort Drum attended the Army Career Day event Oct. 12 on Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield, hosted by the 10th Mountain Division (LI). Participants had an opportunity to learn more about job opportunities the Army offers while touring military vehicles, watching demonstrations, and speaking with Soldiers. (U.S. Army Photos by Spc. Kasimir Jackson, 27th Public Affairs Detachment)
10th Mountain Division hosts Army Career Day
Spc. Kasimir Jackson
27th Public Affairs Detachment
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Oct. 12, 2023) — Students and teachers from 15 school districts in four counties surrounding Fort Drum attended Army Career Day on Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield, hosted by the 10th Mountain Division (LI). The event was meant to build trust within the local community and showcase the many different job opportunities the Army has to offer.
The 10th Mountain Division Band played rock hits to welcome students and teachers as they began to flow into the hangar at around 9 a.m.
“We want people to know what goes on, on Fort Drum,” said Lt. Col. Marc Cleveland, 10th Mountain Division information operations officer. “Having students, teachers, leadership from BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services) – people from four different counties and 15 school districts – allows individuals to see what we do and be more supportive of the military.”
All parties visiting Fort Drum during the event had an opportunity to tour military vehicles, watch live demonstrations, and speak with Soldiers about their day-to-day lives.
“If we can inform people of the opportunities that exist for them, I think we’ve done our job,” Cleveland said.
“I believe that coming out here today definitely changed my mind and perspective about the military and what they're about,” said Kaden Gornair, a student attending Belleville-Henderson Central School.
Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas Bisek, attached to the Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 10th Mountain Division, said he believes events like this help to build trust within the community because they allow Army personnel to show who they really are.
“This gives the community and students a chance to see, touch, and feel what the (Army) is,” Bisek said. “Without communication, you can’t really build a relationship or mutual trust.”
The Fort Drum Army Career Day is an opportunity to expose the North Country community to the military lifestyle. The Fort Drum leadership wants the surrounding area to understand that we are responsible and committed community partners.