NHS students help museum win USAF award

A Museum of Aviation exhibit that three Northside High School seniors worked on last year has won the 2013 Air Force Heritage Award. The students – Wesley Paskett, Jaikel “Jay” Robinson and Keynan Callum – helped Museum officials put together an exhibit on Explosive Ordnance Disposal as part of their Humanities Course Professional Interest Exploration (PIE) program. They spent more than 40 hours at the Museum over several weeks last year researching the subject, gathering photos, writing information and interviewing EOD specialists at Robins Air Force Base. They even took part in a live EOD exercise, which was videotaped and is shown on a TV monitor in the exhibit.

The award recognizes “outstanding accomplishments by Air Force History and Museum personnel that foster a better understanding and appreciation of the Air Force, its history and accomplishments.” It was one of only four Heritage Awards presented throughout the entire U.S. Air Force – one other going to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.

Coincidentally, three more Northside High School students worked together on another exhibit at the Museum this year that opened May 10. Pamela Hamilton, Katie Ecklund and Kyle Baker helped build an exhibit to explain the mission of the 413th Flight Test Group at Robins Air Force Base. The exhibit will be unveiled on the second floor of the Eagle Building in front of students and teachers from Northside.

The EOD exhibit fills a large case on the second floor of the Eagle Building near the elevator and includes an 800-pound robot, a bomb suit, uniforms worn by members of the 116th Air Control Wing’s EOD Flight, and munitions training aids. 

EOD specialists have played a crucial role in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Disposing of an explosive — blowing it up in a controlled fashion — is highly technical work and EOD specialists are superbly trained to do it safely. However, it is dangerous and EOD specialists risk their lives to protect lives and property. The student’s exhibit helps the museum share this important story with the community.

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