MAXWELL AFB-GUNTER ANNEX, Ala. -- Sometimes the most valuable thing you can give isn’t money, it’s your time.
From July 23-24, 2025, Airmen First Class Brady Bania and Cale Rymszewicz from the Business and Enterprise Systems (BES) Department of the Air Force Bot Operations Team (DAFBOT), volunteered at Camp Kindness, Assertiveness, Responsibility, Abstinence, Tolerance, Empathy, and Respect (KARATer) in Montgomery, Alabama, providing students with workshops on college and career readiness: Exploring Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Careers and Drone Technology.
Since 2008, Camp KARATer has provided youth ages 12 to 16 with character education and life-skills training through interactive workshops, mentoring, and experiential learning opportunities. The camp’s goals are promoting positive character traits, encouraging teamwork, and strengthening leadership skills.
Both Airmen knew this program was something they wanted to support. Through stories, encouragement and interactive workshops, they helped students realize that their dreams could become careers.
“There’s something about their energy and curiosity that pulled me in,” said Rymszewicz. “I wanted to show them a few things about programming and give them a glimpse of what their future could look like in this field.”
Over two days, the Airmen led interactive lessons that included coding and drone piloting.
A highlight from one workshop was a peanut butter and jelly “human robot” challenge, where students wrote step-by-step instructions for a volunteer acting as the “bot.” The activity blended humor and logic, demonstrating how programming works in a relatable way.
“I love drones and programing, they’re incredible technologies that will be widely used in the future, both in the military and everyday life,” said Bania. “Teaching kids about them now gives them knowledge they can carry forward.”
The next workshop brought the excitement of drone flights. Students took turns at the controls, learning how drones can be used in missions or to explore hard-to-see areas.
“Their curiosity was our biggest challenge,” Rymszewicz said with a smile. “They asked questions that made us stop and think, but it showed they wanted more information.”
For Bania, the experience resonated on a personal level.
“I saw a bit of myself in them,” he said. “I was that kid asking questions, trying to figure out what I wanted to do in life. Now, I get to help lay steppingstones for them to follow.”
In the future, the Airmen hope to support more STEM-focused activities for students who may have limited access to such opportunities.
“The volunteers played a vital role in the success of Camp KARATer,” said Ms. Andrea Rogers Mosley, Director, Camp KARATer.“Their time, talent, and dedication inspired our students to see new possibilities in STEM and beyond.”
For Rymszewicz and Bania, it was a reminder that sharing knowledge is more than teaching, it’s planting seeds. For the students, it was proof that their dreams aren’t out of reach.
BES Airmen who volunteer in the community do so on their personal time and in their own individual capacities. Their involvement and volunteer work should not imply Federal endorsement of and does not represent logistical support to any non-Federal entities or organizations.