Secretary Crenshaw visits Winchester STARBASE Academy - Nov. 29, 2022

Retired Maj. Gen. Craig Crenshaw, Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, and retired Brig. Gen. Walt Mercer, Virginia Department of Military Affairs Chief Operations Officer, visit students taking part in activities at the Winchester STARBASE Academy Nov. 29, 2022, at the Virginia National Guard's Cherry-Beasley Readiness Center in Winchester, Virginia. During the visit, students from Redbud Run Elementary School took part in hands-on lessons on Newton’s Laws of Motion and the engineering design process. Crenshaw also met with STARBASE staff to learn more about the program as well as full-time VNG Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Read more about Winchester STARBASE at ngpa.us/22886.

STARBASE is Congressionally authorized as a Department of Defense Civil Military Program where licensed instructors provide 25 hours of hands-on, rigorous and real-world experiences in a high-tech environment over five days. The goal is to inspire and educate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and expand their awareness of future STEM careers while providing a model and vision for STEM education to local school districts and educators.