After a 30 minute drive, four young men dressed in simple collared shirts, jeans and Velcro shoes and three medium security facility staff members board a bus for a tour of Altus Air Force Base. For these boys their freedom is just a few months or even weeks away.

For over 10 years Altus AFB and the Office of Juvenile Affairs have teamed up once a quarter to inspire and encourage these young men to move beyond past mistakes and excel by showing them career options the Air Force has to offer.

"The juveniles in our facility all have felonies; things ranging from armed robberies, assault with a deadly weapon and burglaries," said Carrie Altman, Southwest Oklahoma Juvenile Center administrative programs officer.

Because all the boys committed felonies, the OJA is careful when selecting who gets to come on the tours.

"We have 64 boys in our facility, but we only take three to eight on these tours,'' said Altman. "Throughout their treatment they work their way up through different phases and they have to reach the highest phase which is called ‘Community,’ where they're actually allowed to leave the facility without cuffs on with supervision."

With such a small percentage of boys eligible for the final phase, they have to earn it and it's no easy path getting there.

"The ones that get to come here have proven they know how to behave; when they're at the facility they're expected to encourage their peers and to step in when they see someone acting up,'' said Altman. Although the boys are, for the most part, quiet throughout the tours, it's apparent that they truly have learned to be respectful, grateful and are ready to move on from the past.

Part of that respect comes from the Airmen who take time to speak with the boys, honestly and openly.

U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Craig Campbell, 97th Security Forces Squadron acting superintendent, is a prime example of that open relationship. "I identified with these kids. Growing up in New York I was around what they call  ‘ that life.’  To them that life is survival; it's all they know and I want them to see that there are other options out there."

For some of the boys, their body language tells Campbell that they're not taking him serious. Without missing a beat, Campbell calls them out, showing them he knows . This is second nature for him because he is also an undercover narcotics officer in another state. "Being able to relate to them gives me credibility, otherwise they're not going to listen to me. I've been there and know what it's like and hopefully they can see that," said Campbell.

With his knowledge of the gang world, Campbell gives the boys a final message, "You need to stop because a guy like me will catch you, and after you turn 18 and get caught, it's over."

After leaving 97th SFS, the group visits static displays of both the U.S. Air Force Globemaster III cargo aircraft and the U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft, a favorite among the boys and those supervising them.

For many of the boys, this is their first time even near a plane, so being able to sit in the cockpit and see other planes take off is an eye-opening experience. During the stops, pilots, loadmasters and boom operators show them the ropes of their everyday job and that's when the boys start to open up and for some it's the first time they start to consider the military as an option.

Throughout other stops during the day the boys learn about military vehicle mechanics (a favorite for many), how to pack a parachute or get to look through night-vision goggles, but one topic kept coming up; the sense of family among Air Force members.

The majority of the boys in OJA custody come from either broken homes or neighborhoods filled with gangs, so the family concept usually has been skewed to some degree. Many of the Airmen that speak to the boys, came from similar situations, but they talk about how they overcame those obstacles and not only became successful, but discovered what it meant to be part of a group that genuinely cares about its members.