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10-11 October 2006
 Washington,
D.C. - C/CMSgt Collin Carstens of Delta Composite Squadron in
Tomball, TX, attended the 2006 Association of the United States Army
Annual Meeting and Exposition at the Washington Convention Center in
Washington, D. C., on October 10 and 11. This year’s professional
development forum entitled “Call to Duty: Boots on the Ground” included
vast and exciting industrial and military exhibits in the three halls of
the convention center and provided Cadet Carstens hands-on experiences
with experimental and prototypical US-made army equipment and materials:
land vehicles, aircraft, weapons, night-vision devices, personal armor,
UAV’s, radar systems, and much more. In addition, Cadet Carstens viewed
German, British, and Japanese-manufactured small arms, artillery, and
ammunition as well as mission-performance displays of selected U. S.
Army commands.
Highlights of Cadet Carstens’ visit included
a chat with members of the 82nd Airborne Division and an
opportunity to handle a few of the Russian-made Iraqi weapons those
troops had captured: a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, an AK47, and a
sniper rifle.
In the exhibit halls, Cadet Carstens was
particularly fascinated by the uncountable automatic weapons and the
armored vehicles, especially the High Threat Armor Protection System
which defeats small arms fire up to and including the .50 caliber.
Wearing his Civil Air Patrol blue uniform,
Cadet Carstens was a stand-out among the army greens, blues, and ACU’s
and was approached by former and current CAP members, including COL Jane
Davies, commander of the National Capital Wing, whose husband, COL (R)
John Davies, is the AUSA Director of Regional Activities and organized
the event.
Cadet Carstens accompanied his father, COL
(R) Joe Carstens, and hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps and
become an army officer. Representatives from the USMA at West Point,
from Virginia Military Institute, and from Norwich University were
present and advised Cadet Carstens about how to make that dream become a
reality.
Article and photos submitted by
2nd Lt Victoria
Carstens |
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