As a jet takes off from an airport runway, junior cadet Trey Rosales, stands at attention as his commanding officer explains the inner workings of the U.S. air force and how they support the military.

Rosales has been attending a military air force program called “Civil Air Patrol (CAP), a military air force program,” for  over a year now. This program teaches young people about the military and prepares them for life after graduation by teaching skills and basic knowledge for the military and Air Force.

“The Civil Air Patrol program provides the skills, the know-how and basic knowledge of not only things we will need in the military, but basic skills we will need in life like determination and quick thinking,” Rosales said. “These skills are extremely important because when we get up in the air we become essentially co-pilots, and if something goes wrong then we need to know what to do and how to do it in the best way as our lives, and the lives of others are on the line.”

The CAP program teaches many traits to those who want to advance in the military after graduation. In the program, Rosales got to experience what it is like to be in the military as a whole. Also, the CAP teaches what’s different about the Air Force compared to other branches of the military.

“The CAP program is like an interactive movie trailer for what the Air Force is like. It’s late nights and early mornings of marching, training and learning basic etiquette that will get you through the military and life.” Rosales said. “My parents did not serve but my two brothers are currently serving now. I was able to travel to and explore Europe thanks to my eldest brother who was stationed there.”

In Rosales’ case, he not only got to learn in the program but also got to learn from his brothers who are already in the Air Force. Thanks to his brothers he was given the opportunity to meet with many retired and current Air Force soldiers, who would tell Rosales of their travels and experience all over the globe.

“I believe I was with my brother and his two compatriots that are retired and they were talking about the places they traveled to like Korea and Japan.” Rosales said. “The way they explained traveling in the Air Force was [that] you would travel to many places, many times, so easily that it became normal.”

The experience of traveling all over Europe with his eldest brother gave him a chance to see first hand the world seen by the Air Force. The sights that Rosales travels to and the places he explores would give him a sense of the culture there and how different it is from Walnut.

“I think I have been to more countries than most people have and probably more cities kids my age have, and it really is so much more different than what those in service say.” Rosales said. “There are no words that can describe traveling the world, because the ability to be in places that people live in like how we live in Walnut and to experience the various communities and cultures, you really just soak it all in.”

Based on Rosales’ unique experiences both in the CAP and with his brothers, he plans to join the military after graduation to not only explore the world, but to learn the different cultures of the world using the skills and opportunity the U.S. Air Force presents to all those who wish to join and serve the military.