By LCDR Ryan "Repo" Dorn
On the weekend of 27-29July, 2018, I, along with my pilot, LT Michael “DKIII” Klein,
had the opportunity to conduct cross country training and represent VFA-94 and Naval Aviation by participating in a CNAF X-Country community Outreach in the Houston recruiting region. From start to finish, it was a great event, easy to coordinate, and we were able to interact with many people from the community, especially youth.
Several weeks prior to the trip, I downloaded the CNAF Cross Country App. The App
allows squadron aviators to receive a hotel room, one night per diem, and even a rental car to help facilitate outreach events coordinated by Navy recruiters. Since DKIII is from Texas, and I have family living there, it was a great deal for us! The App was easy to use, and the communication flowed quickly between us and the recruiting lead from the Houston region. We were able to set up two events for our weekend trip. The first would be a static display of our F/A-18F Super Hornet at the Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington Airport in Houston, TX, followed by a Boy/Girl Scouts Aviation Merit Badge/Patch ceremony. The second event gave us the opportunity to represent our community by being recognized on the field during a Houston Astros game.
Both events were a smashing success. During the static display at the museum, we spent several hours answering questions and sharing our experiences with more than 500 Houston area aviation enthusiasts, with a great deal of this interaction occurring with young men and women. The Boy Scout event gave the kids the opportunity to walk around the aircraft with the aircrew, asking questions and listening to stories. I am happy to report that many of the youth we interacted with at the museum expressed interest in Naval Aviation in their prospective futures, and more events such as these will help ensure that trend continues.
The weekend’s Outreach Event ended with us attending a Houston Astros game. During the game, my pilot and I were recognized on the field, but more importantly, we were able to interact with several youth who expressed interest in joining the Navy. This gave us the opportunity to promote Naval Aviation as a potential career path for them.
Overall, the weekend was a success, and it was truly enjoyable being able to interact with our nation’s youth. It was a very humbling reminder that we owe it to our youth to mentor and inspire them to live honorably and to pursue their dreams. Events like this can help facilitate this important responsibility.
LCDR Ryan "Repo" Dorn is a native of the great state of Wisconsin and a Department Head at VFA-94. He loves skeet shooting, hunting, camping, grilling
and his wife and 4 kids.