The airmen helped complete various projects such as spreading mulch around storage sheds, moving equipment from athletic fields, clearing brush from fence lines and clearing the cross country course, which winds through the wooded area behind the high school. The course was overgrown and unusable for meets, but because of the work done by the airmen, the district is ready to host students from around the area for cross country and CBC conference meets this fall.
“The Air National Guard volunteer team provided over 100 hours of labor,” Masser said. “What they accomplished in just a few hours of work would have taken the district’s limited maintenance and grounds crew several weeks to accomplish, weeks they don’t have available as they push to ready the schools for the first day of school in just a few short weeks.”
The day was organized by Technical Sergeant Corey Hemphill, First Sergeant Summer Flowers, and Technical Sergeant Vanessa Casey. Hemphill was excited to return to his high school, where he graduated in 2015.
“For me, this is home,” Hemphill said. “While I was here, the teachers and staff poured into me every day. I joined the National Guard as a senior in high school and they supported me every step of the way. This is a good place and I want to give back.”
124th Squadron Commander Chad Montague said he values the time spent serving alongside the airmen in his squadron and believes the time spent working together positively translates to the squadron’s workplace.
“We value the time spent out in our community serving alongside each other. It’s times like these that we can really interact and create lasting memories with our squadron,” said Commander Montague.
This is the second time the 124th Squadron has volunteered at Clark-Shawnee. In 2019, 20 Airmen from the 124th Intelligence Squadron volunteered to landscape Kindergarten Village.
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