 Just about everyone in Southern California has seen the Cub Scouts standing outside grocery stores and pulling wagons to sell their fantastic popcorn. But have you ever asked yourself what happens to the bags of popcorn that they have left? But have you ever asked yourself what happens to the bags of popcorn they have left? The answer is more interesting than you might think. The CIEC BSA, Trails End Popcorn and Eastvale Cub Scout Pack 2017 worked together to prepare approximately $50,000 work of Trails End Premium Popcorn so that it could be donated to the United States Military. After coordination with Ms. Karen Amos from the Airman and Family Readiness Center, they were ready. .jpg) The Journey began with the scouts from Pack 2017 loading several hundred cases of popcorn onto two twelve-foot scout trailers. They left early Saturday morning for their long trip to March Air Reserve Base. After clearing the security review, they setup table and waited. These scouts, ranging in age from 5-9 years of age, began to tell the airmen about flavors and handing them bags of free popcorn. Even the base chaplain and the security forces came by. The little guys thanked them for their service to our country and shook their hands as they left.   But it didn't end there. Some of the scouts heard rumors of an entire company of soldiers from the United States Army who were sitting on the grass eating MRE's for lunch just a mile away. So they packed up and went searching for them. The looks on the faces of the soldiers as the scouts tossed them popcorn was incredible. The soldiers took the time to thank the kids and answer what seemed like a million questions that a little boy might ask. Shortly thereafter, the scouts even found a couple of companies of Marines with their rifles getting ready to fly out. The excitement was never ending.   To end the day, Technical Sergeant Mark Gomez of the 752nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron had arranged a very special surprise for scouts. They had the rare opportunity to get a personal tour of the unit and learn about aerial refueling aircraft and how important they are to many missions of the armed forces. The question and answer session was incredible, as Gomez explained how many hours of maintenance it takes to keep these aircraft flightworthy and safe for our pilots. The kids had no idea how many different missions these aircraft undertake, including refueling, medical transport, and moving cargo. They even got to explore the inside of an enormous KC-135 Stratotanker and even sit in the pilot's seat. It was hard to leave without feeling tremendous respect for all that these maintenance warriors do for our country. Thanks to Golden Empire Mortgage for submitting this story to us! |