Black Jack Brigade honors Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy

Photo By 1st Sgt. Justin A. Naylor | Staten Island, N.Y. native Sgt. Michelle Brown, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division commander's assistant, reads part of a speech given by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She took part in the emotionally charged MLK day celebration that took place at the chapel on Jan. 20 at Camp Buehring, Kuwait.  

CAMP BUEHRING, KUWAIT

01.24.2009

Story by Spc. Justin A. Naylor 

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

By Pfc. Justin Naylor
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait – Even though the Soldiers of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division has only spent a few weeks in Kuwait, and most of their focus has been to train for their mission to Iraq, the Equal Opportunity Office took the time to observe Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life achievements Jan. 19 at Camp Buehring, Kuwait.

Sgt. 1st Class Robert Bee, the 2nd BCT equal opportunity advisor of Rochester, Minn., said this remembrance helped him to reflect on who we were in the past, who we are today and where we came from, especially with the President Barack Obama's inauguration.

The attendants watched images of King's life as it started with Black Jack Soldiers reading excerpts from King's biography.

"It is another day to reflect on everything he went through to get us where we are today," said Sgt. Michelle Brown, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division of Staten Island, N.Y.

The struggle for civil rights was a long and hard-fought battle that continues to this day, Brown said. The fight must continue until the last vestiges of racism are eliminated from our country and our military, but the Soldiers now are so much better than they were before King.

For 2nd BCT Soldiers, it was a chance to remember who he was and who he still is.
By honoring the day of his birth, the legacy of his life and his accomplishments are recognized. The major role he played in the civil rights movement changed many things. It gave those looking for avenue to express their dissatisfaction with the laws a way to change things, Brown added.

• Date Taken: 01.24.2009
• Date Posted: 01.24.2009 02:08
• Story ID: 29207
• Location: CAMP BUEHRING, KW