MEMPHIS, Tenn. —Navy League Memphis, Navy Recruiting Command, Navy Personnel Command and Navy Talent Acquisition Group Nashville partnered to bring Naval Aviation Orientation Day for Mid-South Students to experience at the Wilson Air Center on October 30, 2024.

Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC), aviation and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) classes from Tennessee and Mississippi got to explore a variety of military aircraft from Norfolk, Virginia; Corpus Christi, Texas; and Pensacola, Florida and other locations around the nation. They also got to meet members of the Navy’s esports team, Goats & Glory; the U.S. Naval Academy admissions office; Navy and Marine Corps recruiters; and members of the U.S. Coast Guard.

“Navy Aviation Orientation and Wine Under Wings are great opportunities for us to support our sea services and our community, civilian personnel and business partners,” said Victor V. Cooper, Navy League President. “We have a vested interest in seeing our young generation succeed and become valuable and productive citizens because our future is in their hands.”

The Navy eSports team brought Street Fighter 6 and Super Smash Bros. video games to give the students an opportunity to play a one-on-one match against their team members.

“We always love the opportunity to connect with our local community,” said Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Tyler Priestley, a Navy eSports team member “Students lined up the entire day to get the chance to play against us. We really enjoy these events because it helps us keep our edge competitively in a fun and engaging way.”

Students got to view The Blue Angels film that was displayed on a large screen in the hangar. Three former Blue Angels got to interact with students and answered questions they had about their experiences as a Blue Angel.

“It’s been a great opportunity for us to showcase the Navy, Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard,” said Cmdr. Chip Boogerd, U.S. Navy, retired, a former Blue Angel. “We enjoy sharing the opportunity afforded them if they join the military.”

Navy Recruiting Command consists of a command headquarters, two Navy Recruiting Regions and 26 Navy Recruiting Districts that serve more than 1,477 recruiting stations across the country. Their mission is to leverage an inspirational culture to inform, attract, influence and hire the highest quality candidates from America’s diverse talent pool to allow America’s Navy to assure mission success and establish the foundation for Sailors to thrive in a life-changing experience.