U.S. Army looking for recruits at SantaCaliGon Days in Independence

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — SantaCaliGon Days is a Kansas City, Labor Day tradition in Independence, Missouri.

This is the 52nd year for the four-day event that draws thousands of people to the metro.

In 1940, SantaCaliGon Days started as a way to celebrate the starting point of the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon Trails in the City of Independence.

Now, it’s a rich tradition that celebrates music, history, commerce, and this year, the U.S. Army.

Army recruiters are looking for the best and the brightest to join their ranks, and they’ve brought some flashy high-tech tools to give potential recruits a feel for the job.

There’s a whole trailer to coax robotics students into working for the army, as well as a special ops trailer with plenty of virtual reality training, including a parachute jump.

“This year we have our parachute simulators if you are wondering, ‘Hey, what’s it really like to go out of a helicopter or airplane,’ we can show you that,” U.S. Army Recruiter and Lt. Col. Crystal Jones said.

“We also have the ability to show what it’s like to use some of our different weapons systems, as well as to drive some of our different vehicles. It’s pretty cool. We also have a robotics trailer, which is something we’re seeing an increased interest in.”

The army is recruiting people with high-tech skills for more than 200 different job descriptions, including drone pilots, surveillance experts, and cyber security specialists.

If you are interested, military working dog demonstrations start on Monday at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

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