By MIDN Salisbury

For Spring Break 2019, I spent half of it in Lemoore, CA with the hardworking men and women of Naval Air Station Lemoore. This opportunity was presented to our unit's aviation club and anyone else interested in learning and experiencing the naval aviation community. This was a phenomenal trip thanks to the meticulous planning of the Wings' Staff.

Our trip began with a day of meeting the people behind developing the equipment that allows our war-fighting aircraft to operate as well as the air traffic control personnel. There were multiple chances to watch an
F/A-18 or F-35 take off and/or land and being allowed to witness these exceptional aircraft perform their duties was awe-inspiring. In the afternoon, we were allowed to watch F-18s do some Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP).

The second day, our group met and talked with some of the squadrons within Lemoore and then operated a simulator of an F/A-18F Super Hornet. Many would say this or the FCLP was their favorite portion of the visit. We also got an up-close visit with the U.S. Navy's F-35C Lighting II Fleet Replacement Squadron, VFA-125 Rough Raiders.

Overall, this remarkable trip is one to remember to all the midshipmen (and a 2nd Lieutenant!) involved and we are grateful to the people who put in the work to make it happen.