Summer CULP program

I wanted to share a story from one of the Cadets in the GKB. I was blown away by this story, which will be one of the featured stories to be published in our fall newsletter. The newsletters can be seen on the Golden Knight Battalion website.

Cadet David Pecka was one of 4 cadet we sent this summer on cultural immersion trips sponsored by Cadet Command. What amazed me about this trip was the fact that this trip wasn’t focused on the military aspects of the country, but on the humanitarian relief opportunities. The fact that the Army is instilling in it’s young leaders the compassion and desire to make things better, along with the desire to quickly and efficiently win the nation’s wars validates part of the reason why I joined the Army.

So here is what David had to say about his trip:

This past summer I had the amazing privilege of traveling with 21 other ROTC Cadets and 2 Cadre members to the country of Tanzania to offer humanitarian aid to the local community. We were placed at various hospitals, schools, women’s advocacy groups for HIV and AIDS help, and even community improvement organizations and organizations for the mentally and physically disabled. I was able to work with teachers to help children with Down Syndrome learn how to count and read. Also because of their disabilities the children were not taught English like the rest of the children in the country, forcing us to plan our lessons in advance and learn how to teach it in Swahili. This allowed me to pick up a lot of the language. We were also able to take trips to Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, both once in a lifetime opportunities. When we got back to the United States I have a much greater appreciation for everything that we have here. Currently I am working to secure funding from US corporations for schools in Tanzania. I am hoping to get companies such as Colgate and Crest to donate money and/or products to improve the lives of these children. Over all, this trip was enjoyable, eye opening, and life changing. If given the opportunity I would do it again in a heartbeat and I strongly urge any incoming MSI and MSII to look into this great opportunity and take advantage of it.