Standing in a hanger at NAS Whidbey gazing up at a massive EA-6B Prowler - the base's new flagship aircraft - a Washington High School JROTC student described it as looking "very expensive."

Such was the awe and amazement of thirty-some Jr. Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets from the high school as they toured the base Oct. 25, spoke with officers, and took in the complexities and sheer size of a working Navy base.

Funneled first into the "Ready Room" for briefing, cadets were instructed on the technical differences between the Prowler and its predecessor, the EA-18G Growler by Lt. Toni Miggins, a naval flight officer, who also shared her own story.

"I wanted to pilot ... I had the dream since I was a kid," said, Miggins, who joined the JROTC herself in high school. However, Miggins found in her training that she really preferred being in navigation than being a pilot. "Whatever you do, make sure that's what you really want."

Once briefed, the cadets filed down to the hanger where they passed several aircraft including both Prowlers and Growlers, rubbing their hands along the metal siding and looking curiously into the open undercarriages. Outside an open hanger door, students overheard the power of aircraft engines as they were tested on the adjacent runway.

Col. John Pardo, the cadet's commander who accompanied them on the trip, said that the JROTC program can offer opportunities - like the NAS Whidbey tour - that other classes or programs can't or don't provide.

"What I get out of it is the opportunity to provide a perspective you can't provide in a classroom," said Col. Pardo, who is now in his fourth year with the Washington High School JROTC. "It's an awesome opportunity for leadership. You see some of these kids mature and move on and be successful. Some might be lost but the JROTC is one place where they can excel."

The JROTC students toured a hanger that housed both Growlers and Prowlers. Then, went on to learn about aircraft emergency procedures, such as the ejection seat, and toured the low compression chamber and water survival training facilities.

JROTC cadet Samantha Bushey, said the program was "fun actually" because of all the out of school activities, like tours and summer camps.

Her mother, Crystal Bushey, said because of the program, her daughter has shown more focus, a great attitude, and an increase in overall self awareness.

"She comes home and says, ‘Mom, I know what I'm gonna do,'" Bushey said. "She is driven, dedicated and level headed, and it's because of the JROTC."