19-02-2025
Des Moines teen soaring to new heights at prestigious flight academy
DES MOINES, Iowa — JROTC cadets train with military precision. The high school program prepares them for future careers both in and out of the uniform.
Hours before the first bell rings at Central Campus, cadets from the Marine Corps JROTC line up for inspection. They march in the gym in steps and formations that are drilled into them.
'The first couple of weeks, I was not very good at drilling. It was definitely a little rough,' said Cadet 1st LT Madison Elg.
But now Elg is calling out the commands as a unit commander.
'It's basically about discipline; that's the main thing. Pretty much working as a team to accomplish the same goal and everybody has their role in it. So, nobody is more important than anybody else,' she explained.
The 17-year-old junior is doing something no other Des Moines cadet has done before. Out of 1,000 applicants, she was one of ten selected to attend the prestigious Navy and Marine Corps JROTC Flight Academy in Florida over the summer.
At the end of the eight-week program, Elg will earn her pilot's license.
'I'm just proud of myself for getting in because I very much did not think I could get in,' said Elg.
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'We encouraged her — hey you got this. Sometimes they just need a little push — but you got this because you're just as good as anybody else,' said GySgt Michael Gettler, who everyone calls Gunny.
He says it's his job to know when to give cadets that little push.
'Our main goal is leadership, being a good citizen, being a good role model, right? I mean that's the crux of everything,' said Gunny.
After two decades as an active duty Marine and another 24 years as an instructor and air rifle coach, this is his last year.
'We're the best program in this building, you know what, I mean it takes a lot to say that. A lot of people are like oh that's … you guys just think … no we're good. Our kids are good, our expectations are good,' explained Gunny.
Cadets like Elg are taking those expectations and reaching new heights. She says attending the flight academy is a dream come true.
'When I was younger, I wanted to be a bird. So, when I was five or six-years-old, I was obsessed with birds and I would always jump off the couch and try to fly. I would always build nests out of blankets, and it was just so interesting to me how they could fly and why they could fly,' she explained.
The flight academy program aims to inspire high school students to pursue careers in aviation. In addition to getting her pilot's license, Elg will earn five college credits. She wants to join the military and is planning to attend Utah State University.
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