Robotics Championship Prepares Students for STEM Success

Brig. Gen. Christopher Amrhein, Commander of Air Force Recruiting Service, visited and spoke with students at the FIRST Robotics Championship in Houston, Texas on April 19, 2024. FIRST Robotics is an international high school robotics competition held each year in which teams of high school students, coaches, and mentors build game-playing robots which complete tasks such as scoring balls into goals, flying discs into goals, inner tubes onto racks, hanging on bars, and balancing robots on balance beams. (U.S. Air Force photo by Michelle Deleon)

Robotics Championship Prepares Students for STEM Success

Brig. Gen. Christopher Amrhein, Commander of Air Force Recruiting Service, poses with a student and her parents at the FIRST Robotics Championship in Houston, Texas on April 19, 2024. FIRST Robotics is an international high school robotics competition held each year in which teams of high school students, coaches, and mentors build game-playing robots which complete tasks such as scoring balls into goals, flying discs into goals, inner tubes onto racks, hanging on bars, and balancing robots on balance beams. (U.S. Air Force photo by Michelle Deleon)

Robotics Championship Prepares Students for STEM Success

Brig. Gen. Christopher Amrhein, Commander of Air Force Recruiting Service, poses with Space Force recruiters at the FIRST Robotics Championship in Houston, Texas on April 19, 2024. FIRST Robotics is an international high school robotics competition held each year in which teams of high school students, coaches, and mentors build game-playing robots which complete tasks such as scoring balls into goals, flying discs into goals, inner tubes onto racks, hanging on bars, and balancing robots on balance beams. (U.S. Air Force photo by Michelle Deleon)

Robotics Championship Prepares Students for STEM Success

Published April 24, 2024
By Joe Gangemi
Headquarters AirForce Recruiting Services

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --

Brig. Gen. Christopher Amrhein, commander of the Air Force Recruiting Service, joined over 5,000 attendees at the First Robotics Championship in Houston, Texas, April 19, held at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Alongside teachers, coaches, and students, Amrhein attended the "Employment & Enlistment: Leveraging your FIRST Experience for your Future" panel and heard 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh, Miss America 2024, speak about her service in the U.S. Air Force.

During his visit, Amrhein went on a guided pit tour led by a Student Ambassador and witnessed First Robotic championship matches. He also stopped by the Enhanced Cognitive Human Ops. Activation to meet local recruiters and "Ricky” the Recruiter, as well as engaged with U.S. Space Force recruiters at the innovation fair.

“Building things, like what you do in FIRST building robots, and discovering new ways to accomplish our mission is what we do,” said Amrhein. “Perhaps one of you will be creating the next capability to defend our freedom and preserve national security.”

To advance their careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, particularly in roles within the U.S. Air Force or Space Force, STEM knowledge is essential across diverse career paths, spanning from special mission aviators to aircraft engineers, Missile and Space Systems Maintenance specialists to firefighters and photographers.

Amrhein delivered a keynote address at the Dean’s List award luncheon to over 5,000 students. Established in 2010 and sponsored by the Kamen family, the Dean’s List award honors students who demonstrate exceptional leadership in robotics and technology, embodying the ideals of FIRST.

Amrhein emphasized the alignment between building robots in FIRST and solving real-world problems through technology and innovation in the Air and Space Forces.

To learn more about full and part-time opportunities in joining the Air and Space Forces, visit our website www.AirForce.com or www.SpaceForce.com. To speak with a recruiter near you, click here.