CHESTER, Va. -- Some students join the military to see what they're made of. But it's what's inside these trailers that shows them what the U.S. Navy is all about.
"We're excited about (them) coming out bringing the truck," L.C. Bird High School Principal Adrienne Blanton said, "showing the kids the opportunities that are available through the Navy."
The Navy Recruiting Command recently brought its mobile, high-tech simulation module to Bird High School.
Chief Petty Officer Takara Adams loves to see the excitement on the students’ faces.
"They're coming out of these trailers and they're like, 'Oh my God! I love it! I didn't know we did that in the Navy. I didn't know that was a job.'"
Virtual reality shows them how to drive a ship or submarine or experience a high-speed water extraction of a Navy Seal team pinned down under enemy fire.
While the military isn't for everybody, some students are considering camouflage to afford college.
"There are all kinds of opportunities out there for our kids and we want them to be able to see that a four-year school's not your only option," Principal Blanton said. "There are other options to help pay for that four-year school if you want to, but also to learn their careers and skills in alternative ways."
"A lot of people think after boot camp, you just go straight off to a ship or submarine." Andrews said, “but the Navy actually sends you to school for a job training, so you can learn that job, that trade, that you could be more of a subject expert in that field."
High school seniors will have many decisions to make between now and the time they graduate.
Part of building a better mind is knowing all the options.
Building Better Minds with Rob Cardwell airs each Wednesday at 6 a.m.
