Soldier mentor impacts students lives

  • Published
  • By Ms. Jamie Topliff
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  The third-oldest of twelve brothers and sisters, Army Staff Sgt. Caleb Lloyd knows a thing or two about being a good role model.

   Lloyd is the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 501st Infantry Regiment assistant operations officer and noncommissioned officer in charge of the 1-501st IN's partnership with Eagle River High School in support of the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson School Partnership Program. He spends upwards of 12 hours a week mentoring the school's Air Force Junior ROTC cadets. He started volunteering at Eagle River High School during the 2013-2014 school year. This is Lloyd's last year working with the cadets because he is separating from the Army in June.

   "In 2013, I did the minimum. Once a month, I'd go in and do [physical training] with them," said Lloyd. "In 2014, I stepped up and I realized that this is really cool and that I enjoyed going every Friday."

   Lloyd became the full-time 1-501st IN SPP NCOIC at the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year and has spent more than 1,000 hours in classrooms and the gym, at drill competitions around the state and in leadership courses in the wilderness.

   "This unique opportunity that allowed our soldiers to coach, mentor, and train the young cadets at Eagle River High School has not only helped us professionally to better ourselves, but helped sharpen our leadership skills and improve our relationship with the community," said Lloyd.

   Retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Bill McNew is an aerospace science instructor at Eagle River High School and has worked with Lloyd for the past three years.

   "The relationship we have with the 1-501st IN is only as strong and as beneficial as the individuals involved," said McNew. "Staff Sergeant Lloyd has bought into the importance of this relationship and he's seen firsthand the impact of how it affects our students and makes our program stronger."

   McNew, along with Senior Aerospace Science Instructor retired Air Force Lt. Col. David Ennis, have had an impact on his professional development as well, said Lloyd. He sees how their dedication to junior ROTC sets the cadets up for success in life.

   "I told myself when I started volunteering that if I only made an impact in one child's life, then it was worth it," said Lloyd.

   Lloyd's favorite activity with the cadets is coaching drill and incorporating the Army Field

Manual 3-21.5 to fill any gaps in the Air Force's regulations, specifically in the Air Force's lack of instruction for the armed regulation drill team.

   "His commitment is remarkable," said McNew. "We practice drill from 6 to 7:10 a.m. from Oct. 1 until the end of February. He would be here every day if I said we needed him."

   Being a soldier working with an Air Force Junior ROTC unit has allowed Lloyd to see different ways of conducting drill and has afforded him the opportunity to incorporate the Army's training doctrine into the Air Force drill regulations the cadets are normally taught.

   Lloyd has found his niche in training the armed regulation drill team the Army way of doing things, and has effectively implemented his unique expertise.

   "I think of my time with the kids as an investment," said Lloyd. "During drill season, I don't have a lot of free time, with drill practice during the week, competition on Saturday ... and extra time for practices, [but] it's a really fun, rewarding opportunity."

  A rewarding investment indeed. Lloyd has coached the drill team in preparation for the last two state competitions and this year, helped guide the armed regulation drill team to the state championship and the first overall state junior ROTC drill championship for Eagle River High School.

   "He is extremely responsive and willing to do whatever it is that we ask him to do," said McNew. "It's really nice to have that support ... we can always count on him being here and supporting us when he can."

   In addition to working with the junior ROTC, Lloyd and several other 1-501st IN SPP volunteers regularly spend time with Eagle River Elementary School students reading, playing during recess, building gingerbread houses during the holidays and decorating classrooms for Halloween trick-or-treating.

   When they first started visiting the elementary school, only a few kids would come up and play with them, said Lloyd. Over time, the kids got used to the soldiers being there, and now they get swarmed when they show up.

   Lloyd plans to move back to California and get his bachelor's degree after he separates from the Army in June, but will stay in Alaska to participate in one last Cadet Leadership Course in July.

   Lloyd said participating in the SPP has definitely changed his opinion of volunteering and helping people out. He particularly enjoys hearing back from cadets who have moved on who say they appreciated the soldiers' time and mentorship.

   "That's it right there," said Lloyd. "That's rewarding."