Laughlin AFB Team XL Brings STEM Buddies to Lamar Elementary

Students at Lamar Elementary School in Del Rio worked with members of Team XL from Laughlin Air Force Base during a STEM Buddies afterschool program on Feb. 27, 2026, Laughlin AFB public affairs reported. The event connected base volunteers and personnel with local elementary students through hands-on STEM activities as part of the base’s outreach to the Val Verde County community.

Laughlin AFB public affairs identified the participants as members of Team XL — described in base materials as base volunteers and personnel — who traveled to Lamar Elementary for the session. The program carried the formal name STEM Buddies and was scheduled as an afterschool engagement, providing classroom-adjacent time for interaction between service members and children at the school in Del Rio.

The base’s public affairs notice emphasized the connection role of the event, stating that STEM Buddies “connected base volunteers with local elementary students.” That wording underlined the event’s intent to pair military volunteers with students for science, technology, engineering and math-focused activities rather than a routine visit or single-day display.

Lamar Elementary’s location in Del Rio made the school a convenient partner for Laughlin AFB’s Team XL outreach, situating the program inside the community most directly adjacent to the base. The Feb. 27 session represents a concrete example of Laughlin AFB personnel involvement in local education initiatives within Val Verde County, as reported by base communications.

Public affairs provided the account of participation and timing but did not release additional operational details such as the number of volunteers who attended, the number of students served, or plans for follow-up sessions. The documented occurrence on Feb. 27, 2026, however, establishes an official record of Team XL’s role in bringing STEM programming into a Del Rio elementary classroom, an action that ties Laughlin AFB personnel directly into local youth education efforts going forward.