by Senior Airman Lou Burton
482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

 HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, FL  — Air Force Reservists and civilian employees from Homestead Air Reserve Base partnered with Homestead Job Corps to assist in a community road-side clean up on July 28, 2011. Thirty two people from both organizations paired up to pick up trash along Southwest 288th Street, starting at Southwest 137th Avenue working east to the Job Corps center.

“This is our first time partnering with Homestead ARB for our Adopt-a-Road program,” said Ms. Lesly Diaz, Business and Community Liaison Officer at the Homestead JCC. “We have been participating in this program for over four years.”

The Job Corps participants are all members of the Joint Uniform Military Prep program, known as J.U.M.P.

“The J.U.M.P. program gives students an opportunity to learn about the military as a career option by stressing physical fitness and discipline,” said Mr. Bernard Krogh, J.U.M.P. coordinator at the Homestead JCC.

“Our partnership with Homestead ARB has multiple goals,” said Krogh. “Students will have an opportunity to give back to their community, develop pride in their work, and since we paired each student with a military member, they will be in a relaxed atmosphere that will enable students to ask questions and get an idea about what being in the military is all about.”

Administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, Job Corps is the nation’s largest career technical training and education program for young people at least 16 years of age that qualify as low income. Job Corps is a free education and training program that helps young people learn a career, earn a high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma, and find and keep a good job. Students come from all over the state and beyond; currently there are approximately 500 students at the Homestead branch, of which 400 live on campus.

“Pairing the Job Corps and military members for this clean up has been very successful. We as military members are able to give back to the local community while being able to talk to Job Corps students about what we do,” said Airman 1st Class Alexander Nova, 93rd Fighter Squadron.

“About 70 percent of our graduates go on to join the military, higher education, or a trade career,” said Krogh. “The military is a big employer of our graduates.”

Those interested in participating in a Job Corps mentorship can contact Mr. Krogh at 786-925-9738 or email him at: krogh.bernard@jobcorps.org.

 Link to article published in Air Force Print News Today:

http://www.homestead.afrc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123266235