Photo By Sgt. Michael Connors | Army Reserve soldiers Spc. Timothy Morris and Pfc. Justin Ponza of the 491st Military...... read more read more
TORRANCE, Calif. – The City of Torrance hosts the event to honor the nation’s military, the 491st MP Company helped Torrance police officers with the parade route and provide security for all the military displays.
The 491st Military Police Company, an Army Reserve unit out of March Air Force Base, Riverside, Calif., supported the Torrance Police Department at the City of Torrance’s 52nd Annual Armed Forces Day Parade and Celebration May 20-22.
Torrance is one of few cities nationwide sanctioned by the Department of Defense to honor the armed forces through an annual Armed Forces Day parade and celebration. The City of Torrance hosts the event to honor the nation’s military, and it has the distinction of being the nation’s longest running military parade sponsored by any city.
“The role [of the 491st] is to show military police presence,” said Staff Sgt. Kristofer Kelley, the noncommissioned officer in charge. “In addition, we are here to help Torrance police officers with the parade route and provide security for all the military displays—helicopters, tanks, et cetera—just to ensure that no one is doing anything wrong. We also have 24-hour operations security for [the exhibits].”
“We are an extra set of eyes and ears [for the Torrance Police Department],” said Spc. Timothy Morris, an MP with the 491st, “so that the event is more locked down and secure for the [community] to come see the displays and speak to all armed forces personnel.”
The Torrance legacy of the Armed Forces Day celebration began under the leadership of Mayor Albert Isen in 1960 and has grown throughout the years to be considered a Southern California tradition. According to Mayor Isen, the parade was to “increase public respect and understanding for military service and promote civic-military relationships.”
“[The celebration allows] the people of Torrance to get in touch with the military,” said Kelley, a Corona, Calif., native. “It is a chance for them to see the equipment, to meet soldiers and bring the military and the local community together.”
The event allows the opportunity to gain military interest from the surrounding community, said Morris, a Norco, Calif., native. “We have a lot of youth attending this activity showing interest in the military and that’s good because we can start recruitment early for some people; there is a great possibility of getting new soldiers,” he said.
“I love [this activity], it’s fun,” said Kelley, “[Community members] come up and thank my soldiers and I appreciate that because it shows them that they serve a purpose and that they are wanted here. It is really interesting, I meet many people during this event, and we also get the chance to see other armed forces equipment,”
“I like that this event is a joint forces effort,” said Morris. “It shows that even though we are segregated into our different branches we can still work together, we are still all one military.”
Through the City’s Armed Forces Day Parade and Celebration, the city highlights the Torrance community’s patriotism and demonstrates its appreciation for the sacrifices the men and women of the armed forces have made to secure our freedom.
| Date Taken: | 05.21.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 05.24.2011 01:41 |
| Story ID: | 70929 |
| Location: | TORRANCE, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 528 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Army Reserve MPs team with local PD on Armed Forces Day, by SPC Jacqueline Guerrero, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT