HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Company grade officers met with University of Massachusetts Lowell Air Force ROTC cadets to discuss active duty career field options during an event here April 5.
The visit, co-organized by ROTC Detachment 345 cadets and 1st Lt. Anthony Orezzoli, aimed to bridge academic knowledge with practical experience in Air Force careers.
"It's very important for cadets to know there are so many missions within the Air Force that require different capabilities,” said Orezzoli, an acquisitions officer at Hanscom AFB. “Events like this provide cadets an opportunity to learn about the many jobs that allow us to complete the mission as a team together."
The cadet event was the first held at Hanscom AFB since before the pandemic.
“Today is extremely important for a cadet. It's great that we can meet with [personnel in] this many AFSCs [Air Force Specialty Codes] so we can better understand the many options we have when we enter active duty,” said Cadet Sydney Jones, who helped organize the event.
The two-hour event was structured as a series of brief, engagement sessions where more than 30 cadets rotated every 10 minutes, allowing them to meet with CGOs from a dozen career fields, providing exposure to a variety of professional paths.
On hand to welcome cadets was Col. Taona Enriquez, installation commander.
“I encourage you to embrace this opportunity, to gain insights, and to consider how you can fit into the broader Air Force mission when it’s your time to serve,” she said.
The Det. 345 commander spoke about how the session not only provided the cadets exposure to the many career fields, but also a chance to learn about the diverse mission here at Hanscom AFB.
“Having the opportunity for some new perspectives helps them [cadets] reengage with what's going on and why the mission is important, and how the mission here at Hanscom fits into the bigger [Air Force] picture,” said Lt. Col. Darren Lee.
Hanscom AFB and UMass Lowell have forged a strong relationship through a 10-year partnership that was celebrated this past December. In January, Team Hanscom and the University of Massachusetts Lowell, as well as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, recognized the first cohort to complete a custom-designed digital engineering certificate program.