Beginning last Friday morning, Auburn students had the chance to put a Black Hawk helicopter in the air, shoot down the enemy and land the craft safely in front of Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum.
Army ROTC and Army Reserve brought a traveling trailer to Auburn last week, giving students a chance to learn about military aviation.
"What we have going on here is a joint recruiting program with the ROTC and Army Reserves on active duty," said Lt. Eric McMurray, an Auburn alumnus helping with the program. "In the trailer we have flight simulators for several different helicopters."
The trailer contains Black Hawk, Apache and Kiowa simulators. It also has a case containing an Air Warrior uniform, as well as a video bank to discuss Army aviation for those enlisted.
The Air Warrior contains a cooling system, as well as biological, nuclear and chemical protection. It also holds water survival capabilities, including a one-man raft, collar flotation device and emergency underwater breathing.
Showcasing the safety features and cutting-edge technology of such equipment is key in the recruiting process, as they demonstrate weapons that a soldier will potentially use in modern warfare.
"This is a national asset trailer," McMurray said. "It goes from coast to coast, traveling for approximately 250 days of the year."
The program travels to places such as college campuses and professional sporting events, often leaving NCAA football games on Saturdays to arrive at NFL games by Sunday.
The trailer's videos discuss Army values and the procedure of Special Forces training. The Apache simulator, for example, implements the values of teamwork by requiring both a pilot and a gunner to direct the helicopter.
The two sit beside each other, one steering toward the target and another engaging it. While allowing for students to emulate the excitement of flying on a mission, the simulator also communicates that, without one, the other fails. This is a standard value the armed forces.
"This is part of the Army's Outreach program," said Sgt. 1st Class Brian Kearns, another officer traveling with the trailer. "We drive it across the country to spread information about the Army and to give people the opportunity to learn about becoming commissioned officers."
Outreach works alongside the ROTC programs of the schools at which it stops, using students from those schools to connect with those interested.
To aid in this, the video banks detail such information as how to enlist, how to speak with one's parents about joining the Army and educational benefits of joining.
McMurray said bringing recruiting tools such as the trailer to areas of large civilian concentration are essential to attracting potential soldiers.
"We're giving students the chance to try out some simulations and take some propaganda with them," McMurray said. "What we're doing with ROTC right now is to try and publicize and give those with Interest a chance to come in and circulate our program."
The simulator helped students learn what Army aviation is all about.
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