NY Army Guard hosts exhibit for Saratoga High Schoolers

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) - The New York Army National Guard hosted a recruitment event called "Guard X" on Thursday for Saratoga area high schoolers and BOCES students. The event was held at the F. Donald Myers Education Center from 8:00 a.m. until 3 p.m. by representatives from the New York Army National Guard, as well as the Saratoga Springs Police Department, the Saratoga Springs Fire Department, The New York State Department of Correctional and Custodial Services, and the New York State Police.

The goal of the exhibit was to provide students with a look at options available to them following graduation within the military and law enforcement realms. The New York National Guard exhibits included a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter, various military vehicles, a mobile field kitchen, a mini-obstacle course, a demonstration of bomb-disposal robots, and equipment designed to detect chemical and biological weapons for students to view and interact with.

Captain Johnathan Mattingly of the New York Army National Guard said the event is aimed at allowing students to explore this profession as a potential career path after graduating high school.

“The most important thing we’re doing here today is have some students come out meet their local recruiter, retention officers and start to build some personal relationships and see how not just how they could fit in the army, but the national guard can fit into their lives as well," Captain Mattingly said.

Rachael Perkins, a senior at Saratoga High School, said she has a heightened interest in events like this one.

“A big part of my family has been military-oriented, and I have always found it very honorable and something that’s very cool and interesting and fun, and I want to serve everybody people the best way I can," Perkins said.

Mandy D'Andrea, the career and tech education principal at BOCES, said this exhibit corresponded to courses within their program, which allows students to see what working in these professions would potentially be like.

"Careers... brought here today aligned with one of our programs whether it’s auto body, auto tech, welding, heavy equipment. So it’s really, really important for them to see what jobs are available for them after high school," D'Andrea said.