A Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) cadet looks through an alidade during an at-sea introduction to the Naval Academy on an Academy Yard Patrol (YP) craft. Photo courtesy of Lt. Cmdr. Jim Tannahill.

‘‘The cadets really enjoyed getting on the Yard Patrol craft, working with the crew and some Ocean-ography Department staff,” said retired Cmdr. Royal Connell, senior naval science instructor at Annapolis High School.

The cadets were able to work with some hand-held oceanography and meteorology gear with Ensigns Mike Hrenko and Tenley Fullington.

‘‘We showed the cadets some basic equipment that you could make in your garage next to some high tech gear that costs thou-sands of dollars,” said Hrenko, a newly comm-issioned oceanography officer.

Chief Boatswain’s Mate Kyle Riggin, one of the Academy’s craftmasters, took his boat out into the Chesapeake Bay and gave the cadets a chance to drive under the supervision of his crew.

‘‘It’s always a pleasure to help train the next gen-eration of navy leaders,” said Riggin.

On the forecastle, the cadets were introduced to all the gear on a Navy ship and its purpose, including the firefighting equip-ment. Later, the students got to see the galley and crew’s living quarters.

‘‘Everyone is always amazed at how little space a Navy Sailor gets for eating and sleeping and that there is so little privacy,” said Lt. Cmdr. John Wo-ods, an instructor in the Ac-ademy’s Ocean-ography Depart-ment.

The high school cadets also received a short video introduction to why oceanography, weather and taking care of the environment are so important to the Navy and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed on the big screen in the YP’s Combat Information Center.

‘‘If you can get young people to start thinking about how air and water are so important, then maybe you can spark a lifelong interest in science and environmental stewardship,” said Lt. Cmdr. Jim Tannahill, instructor in the Oceanography Department.

‘‘We continue to have great support from the Naval Academy in training our cadets. It’s one of the reasons we were the top NJROTC unit in the country in 2007,” said retired Lt. Cmdr. Bob Baker, one of the unit’s naval science instructors.

The NJROTC unit plans to return to the Academy for another YP ride later in the semester. In the meantime, they will continue to be exposed to the varying career opportunities available in the Navy.