With summer approaching, young drivers can receive training without leaving Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

The 911 Driving School offers training for license seekers.

Army and Air Force Exchange Service Services Business Manager Lani Chandler said AAFES is thrilled to offer the convenience of a driving school on base.

The school will host a free “Reality Check” demonstration Saturday outside the JBLM Lewis Exchange.

“Parents and young people are invited to come meet us and see what we have to offer,” said Ron O’Gwin, the owner and instructor of the 911 Driving School.

“This is the first (driving school) offered here ever,” Chandler said. “It really sets the bar.”

AAFES hopes to make it a “one-stop shop,” she said. “JBLM was the first base to accomplish this. It took almost two years.”

The first class of 15 students recently graduated, she said, with “great acceptance from command.”

O’Gwin said the course is appropriate for all ages, but targets young drivers. His oldest student so far was 74.

The course consists of classroom instruction, demonstrations and hours of time behind the wheel.

The school aims at striking a balance between high seriousness and being relaxed enough to react to driving situations and conditions.

“It takes a few minutes for everyone to get the nervousness out of their system,” O’Gwin said. “A good majority of them do take it seriously. Paying attention and remaining focused helps the learners pass.”

There are serious reasons to absorb what’s taught in the class. More than 40,000 vehicle-related deaths occur every year on U.S. highways, he said.

O’Gwin is not just citing statistics when he talks about the dangers of the road. As a 30-year veteran trooper of the Washington State Patrol, he has seen the results of traffic accidents firsthand. Those memories motivate him to stress to novice drivers the need to appreciate the power and responsibility of driving a car.

“It’s not an effort to make them paranoid — it’s education,” O’Gwin said. “That’s the key to becoming a successful driver.”

The school’s cadre is made up of former and current law enforcement officers who bring their vast knowledge and experience into the classroom, he said.

“We want our students to succeed,” O’Gwin said. “We try to provide them with the resources they need to be successful.”

All instructors are Department of Licensing approved and screened for their ability to work with young people, he said.

“We’re teaching them lifelong skills,” O’Gwin said. “It’s up to their parents to continue to foster those skills.”

For more information, visit www.911drivingschool.com/driving-school or call 512-0911.