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Grissom hosts 22nd annual Police Day

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Harrison Withrow
  • 434th ARW Public Affairs
GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. --  You only get one chance to make a first impression, and for hundreds of students, Police Day was just that.

Local and federal law enforcement agencies joined with the 434th Security Forces Squadron to host Grissom’s 22nd annual Police Day, where students from the local area participated in a day of activity at Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind., May 15, 2017.

Kari Catanzaro, a sixth grade social studies teacher from Maconaquah Middle School, Bunker Hill, Ind., brought her class to the event along with nearly 200 students from MMS.

“I’ve been to Police Day about five or six times now, and it’s always a great experience,” said Catanzaro. “It’s always great to watch the kids get engaged and learn new things.”

One of Catanzaro’s students, Brady Wetson, was particularly excited to see the inside of the KC-135R Stratotanker which visitors were invited to tour.

“It was really cool,” said Wetson. “I liked getting to walk around the airplane and lay down in the boom pod.

“The flight simulator was also a lot of fun,” he added.

For most of the students, Police Day was their first up-close encounter with the Air Force, so making a good impression was key, said Staff Sgt. Ian Charles, 434th SFS fire team member.

“It’s good for these kids to get a better appreciation for law enforcement and the military,” said Charles. “They can get more ‘under the hood’ and see what it’s all about instead of just what you see on television.

“We get to interact with them, show our organizations in a positive light and answer any questions they might have,” he added. “It’s a really great program.”

In addition to creating a better relationship between the community and law enforcement, Police Day also serves to inspire young children who may one day want to become police officers themselves.

“Some of them might even decide this is what they want to do, and they didn’t even know about it before,” said Charles. “This could be a positive experience that enriches their life even further down the road.”

Even for those without an interest in law enforcement, the event offered a chance to try something new and step outside the classroom.

“We love this,” said Catanzaro. “The weather is great, the students are active and learning, and it’s a great day to get away from the school and have fun.”

The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Men and women from the Hoosier Wing routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission.

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Public Affairs Staff

Material contained on the Official Grissom Air Reserve Base Internet Web Site is written and produced by members of the 434th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office. The award-winning staff includes:

Ben Mota
Chief, public affairs

Maj. Elias Zani
Public affairs officer

Master Sgt. Wendy Day
Staff writer

Tech. Sgt. Alexa Culbert
Staff writer

Senior Airman Elise Faurote
Staff writer

Senior Airman Benjamin Cowles
Staff writer