Students from Edward Mosso’s Security/MILCAP (Military Capability) class needed more than just good luck to navigate an exercise with the U.S. Army on Good Luck Mountain in Johnstown, New York. They received land navigation and map reading skills at the Glenmont Job Corps Academy to accomplish their mission.

In a coordinated effort between the U.S. Army and Job Corps, Sergeant Steven Mastin developed a training program to teach the students how to navigate not using an electronic GPS, but using maps, compasses and pace counters.

“The map reading and navigation skills learned in this activity will serve these students well,” said Sgt. Mastin. “Maps provide a wealth of information about the world around us. By understanding the concepts of map reading, you can figure out where you are and where you need to be. This type of critical thinking is vital in a young person’s training and is rare in today’s digital age,” he added.

Job Corps’ program seeks this type of hands-on training to prepare students for future careers in the security trade or to prepare for a career in the military.

Lori Ann Harrington, a student at Glenmont Job Corps attended the training and excursion on Good Luck Mountain and was grateful for the experience. “I learned how to use a ranger pace counter, locate where we are on a map and how to calculate a straight path using the contour lines on a map,” said Harrington. “It felt awesome to reach our destination at the top of the mountain. I learned so much and cannot wait to utilize these skills on trails back home,” she added.

“I am proud of the students for accomplishing what they did,” said Job Corps Instructor Mosso. “It was a mentally and physically exhausting day. Our students took charge by plotting, pacing and identifying terrain features. This was a difficult task and they proved to me and to themselves, they were ready for the challenge. They are proud and confident of this day and I hope they carry that with them throughout their lives,” said Mosso.