On Wednesday, May 5th and Thursday, May 6th, the MTS JROTC students went on their first post-covid field trip to Base Camp. The Base camp is located at historic Fort Snelling with two buildings, the Leadership Center and the Teambuilding Center. This event was organized by First Sergeant Chapman and Sergeant Eccles, and the Army paid for everything. We went on this field trip to enforce the skills we gain by being in JROTC, such as teamwork, leadership, camaraderie, and motivation building. We were learning about these values by playing games with our classmates to make better connections and sharpen our skills.

It was a nice experience because a lot of kids went on this field trip and we were hanging out like before covid. Of course, we still practiced social distancing and wore our masks to ensure that everyone stayed safe, but it was fun to be all together again.

“The participation at the event was awesome. It was nice to see the kids in an environment where they could enjoy themselves rather than working virtually. It was safe, and they were able to enjoy themselves. The last year and a half has been hard on everybody and they finally got to enjoy each other’s company. They all enjoyed it and were very motivated, “ said First Sarge. “It was an adventurous field trip and that’s what we try to do in JROTC. We put cadets in positions to try new things.”

Students had the opportunity to practice rock climbing and rope courses, and at the end of the day they all enjoyed a game of soccer. We had to work together to get through the rope courses, with one person up above in the ropes and another on the ground guiding them. Climbing the rock wall is also easier when all of your friends are cheering you on. At the end of the day, many students felt proud about what they accomplished. 

Unfortunately, because of Covid, our usual summer field trips have been cancelled, and because things can change so fast we don’t have concrete plans for next year’s field trips. First Sarge told me that he plans on taking us on many fun field trips as long as more things start opening up. I hope that we are able to go to Base Camp again next year!