Photo By Staff Sgt. Cody Harding | Soldiers from the Army Medic Advanced Individual Training course on Fort Sam Houston...... read more read more
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Soldiers from Army Medic Advanced Individual Training on Fort Sam Houston, Texas. are doing pushups in their dress uniforms as a retired Army sergeant cheered them on.
If they could do more than 113 pushups, they would win brand new gaming headsets supplied by Operation Supply Drop, a charity organization that gives gift packages of video games and equipment to Soldiers stationed in garrison and overseas, at their booth at Penny Arcade Expo South in San Antonio, Texas, Jan. 25.
One of the Soldiers reached 79 pushups before the two minutes expired.
“Good job, man,” Retired Army Sgt. Steven Giddings said, and patted him on the back and handed him his jacket.
They might not have won, but their contest brought in passers-by, who donated to the group and helped cheer them on.
He smiled as they got together for a group photo, standing among the future leaders of the Army.
When he was still in the military, Giddings did two tours to Iraq with different units.
During his second deployment in 2008, he was wounded by a sniper round in the back of his neck.
Medics stabilized him and brought him to Fort Hood’s Warrior Treatment Center, where he joined Alpha Company ‘Purple Hearts’ during his recuperation.
After his medical retirement from the Army in 2010, Giddings went to Austin Community College, where one of his teachers, Colin Blankenship, helped him contact Glenn Banton, the Chief Executive Officer of Operation Supply Drop, who invited him to a convention to meet the group and receive a care package.
Since then, he has worked at various events and conventions for the organization, and is currently serving as the community administrator and team manager in the Texas area.
“After I left the military, I was sad and depressed, I had no idea what to do with my life,” Giddings said. “When I found this, this was my calling, it’s something I became passionate about.”
Another group tries to break the pushup record, stopping at the two-minute mark without quite reaching it.
Giddings offered his hand, helped them up, and thanked them for coming to support the troops.
“I just want to let everyone know how amazing this organization is, how well they take care of their Soldiers and Veterans. I want everybody to reach out and communicate with us. We look forward to meeting anybody and everybody.”
| Date Taken: | 01.25.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 01.30.2015 11:53 |
| Story ID: | 153138 |
| Location: | SAN ANTONIO, TX, US |
| Hometown: | AUSTIN, TX, US |
| Hometown: | FORT CAVAZOS, TX, US |
| Hometown: | FORT SAM HOUSTON, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 354 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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