My name is Cadet Major Joseph Stuedemann and I am the current Engagement Squadron Commander at Detachment 465. My position is in charge of recruiting events, among other things, with one of those recruiting events being Shadow Day. Shadow Day is a day-long event where high school students from around the Midwest come to UNL to learn about Air Force ROTC and experience some of the things we do. Some of the highlights are a tour around campus, a Cadre talk hour, participation in LLAB, and getting to interact with cadets of all different experience levels throughout the course of the day. The purpose behind this event wasn’t simply to just recruit new cadets, but to allow high schoolers to get a true understanding of what we do at Detachment 465 and to get their first experience in Air Force ROTC.
My role in this event was planning and coordinating the entirety of the event, though all credit goes to those who helped with planning, set-up, and execution. Those parts include the creation of a schedule and itinerary, packing “Swag Bags”, coordinating food and drink options with the University, and working with cadets throughout the day in order to make each event of the day successful. My thanks go to the Cadre, including Ms. Hegert, for giving up their time to attend/help with shadow day. Another huge thank you goes to the cadets who gave up a significant portion of their Thursday to help: Cadets Bowden, Fortin, Kurinec, Thompson, Hartley, Burgwald, Briseno, and Morrissette. Lastly, I want to give an extra special thanks to my two techs, Cadets Stanley and Madson, as they worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help me with whatever I needed done for the event. To conclude, this year’s Shadow Day was a success, succeeding in our goal of giving high schoolers a genuine glimpse into Air Force ROTC at Detachment 465 and I am grateful for everyone's hard work in making it an impactful experience.
