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by Dawn Slade
Some fourth grade students at Milaca Elementary School had the privilege of meeting military personnel on Veteran’s Day.
Airman 1st Class Jennie Gaylor and her husband Sgt. Lee Gaylor visited with students in Michele Leom’s and Gina Prose’s classrooms.
Jennie’s daughter Jaelin Veurink, 10, and her son Collin Veurink, 11, are students at Milaca Elementary.
Jennie is with the 934th Medical Evac with the Air Force. Lee, who has been deployed five times, is in the National Guard and served previously with the Navy.
The couple spoke about their duties and their extensive family history of serving the military.
Jaelin and Collin plan to enter the military when they’re old enough.
“I want to be a pilot and own my own plane,” Jaelin said. She also wants to have her pilot’s license at age 16.
The military couple also showed pictures of different military vehicles and ships.
Jennie described the main plane used by her outfit - a C-130 Hercules, a four-engine turboprop transport aircraft.
She also mentioned the KC135, which is primarily a refueling plane.
A lesson for the students was relayed as well.
Jennie spoke of all the training necessary as a medial evacuation person.
“We really have to rely on each other,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if you always like the person, they may be the one saving you at some point,” the airman said, adding that kids should always be nice to each other.
“Unlike the Air Force, we keep our feet on the ground,” Lee told the students.
A truck driver with the Echo Company 134th Infantry Brigade, Lee provides combat support and showed students pictures of trucks, including an armored security vehicle.
“It’s a machine gun for grenades,” he told the students, who responded with “cool,” and “sweet.”
More delight from the students came when pictures of an aircraft carrier at sea were shown. Lee talked about the F14 and F18 fighter jets that can go from zero to 200 mph in three seconds thanks to a catapult aboard.
Lee told of one of the military’s newest vehicles - MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected). They are designed to survive IED and ambush attacks.
“It can take a direct blast and everyone will survive,” the sergeant said.
The 42,000 pound vehicle has 500 pound doors and a 1,500-pound rear door.
“The turn radius is like a car,” he added.
Lee, who has been wounded in combat, has also taught deploying troops different military tactics they could use overseas.
Being deployed five times, he’s experienced the difficulty in being away from family. “It’s very hard,” he told the kids.
“To have my husband home, finally, and to have him share that day with me at the school, was an honor in itself,” Jennie said. “He’s very openly enthusiastic about his military career and that’s what made him a great instructor down at Ft. Hood this past year.”
Lee told the students about the letters he received from classrooms of children and said anytime the kids can send letters to the troops, they should.
He told the fourth graders, “It’s not the war, it’s supporting the troops.”
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