VIENNA, Ohio (WKBN) – Tuesday morning, the Youngstown Air Reserve Base welcomed one of its youngest members.

Eleven-year-old Joseph Skaleries, of Campbell, was sworn in as a Second Lieutenant.

It’s all part of Airman for a Day. Servicemen and women took him around the base and helped him experience a full day as an airman.

Joseph got to sit in a life raft, put on a military-grade life jacket, use a parachute, and even took a ride in a C-130 aircraft.

The Reserve Station partners with Akron’s Children’s Hospital and hosts patients with chronic or life-threatening illnesses. Joseph is from Campbell and is being treated at Akron Children’s Boardman.

Col. Jeff Van Dootingh was there to show his support for the program.

“That’s tough for parents; that’s tough for the kid. They’re really having a tough time every day, what we want to do is hopefully give them a day where they can put their troubles behind them and have a wonderful time,” expressed Dootingh.

Over the past 20 years, Airman for a Day has hosted more than 65 Akron Children’s patients.