HARRISBURG, Pa. – Service members from the U.S. Army, Air Force and Navy converged on City Island, May 18, bringing military equipment and displays in support of Armed Forces Day.
The Pennsylvania Army National Guard and the city of Harrisburg, co-hosts of the event this year, plan to showcase a variety of military vehicles, booths and other aspects of each branch of service, while offering the public a chance to honor and see their heroes up close.
“Having an event on Armed Forces Day is very important, in that it honors our veterans both past and present,” said Maj. Frank Brown, officer in charge of the event and member of Military Support and Civil Authorities at the Pennsylvania National Guard Joint Forces Headquarters, Fort Indiantown Gap. “It gives the public a chance to see us and thank our veterans for what they’ve done.”
Preparation for the event began months ago, requiring many hours of planning and coordinating the 90 groups involved in the event. Participants range from single re-enactors to soldiers from larger entities such as the 28th Infantry Division.
“Preparation for this is a major endeavor,” said Brown, who calls Bernville, Pa., home. “It was pretty much a full-time job for the month previous.”
Service members and event organizers spent 20 to 30 hours per week preparing for the event, which is slated to receive up to 10,000 visitors.
Helicopters from 28th Combat Aviation Brigade, armored Stryker vehicles from 56th Stryker Brigade, and other military vehicles rolled into the north parking lot on City Island for visitors to look at and explore first-hand.
Soldiers from 131st Transportation Company, 213th Regional Support Group, moved two flat bed trailers beside each other, creating the main stage from which keynote speakers and others will address those in attendance.
Sgt. 1st Class Robert Williams, non-commissioned officer in charge of 213th RSG soldiers at the event, believes events such as the one at City Island provide soldiers with focus and mission-priority as well as a chance to interact with the community.
“Soldiers are proud to display our professionalism, skills and military technology to our family and neighbors in our local community,” said Williams.
As National Guard soldiers arranged the vehicles in the parking lot, soldiers from 358th Engineer Company, an Army Reserve unit from New Cumberland, Pa., and Army Riggers from the Defense Logistics Agency, unloaded and set up an obstacle course on the west side of the island near the miniature golf course. Pieces of the course, assembled at City Island, took more than two weeks to plan and build.
“The course, which is geared toward kids between 8 and 12, will consist of 15 obstacles which they can try out for fun,” said Staff Sgt. William Bass, NCOIC of the course and member of the DLA. “It gives the kids something to do as well as build their confidence.”
Other military units and civilian organizations also set up booths in a pavilion, again instilling the communal atmosphere of the event.
“It’s definitely a family event,” said Brown. “The family readiness group will be here among the many groups, and they’ll be doing food sales and activities for the kids.”
The 28th Infantry Division, Medical Battalion Training Site, and Veterans Helping Veterans number among the many groups running booths at the event.
Despite the amount of effort and time needed to make the event come to fruition, Brown is in high spirits.
“It’s great that the public is going to get a chance to interact with our soldiers, see our equipment and just understand what were about and what we do,” he said.
| Date Taken: |
05.18.2012 |
| Date Posted: |
05.19.2012 13:35 |
| Story ID: |
88682 |
| Location: |
HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: |
190 |
| Downloads: |
1 |
PUBLIC DOMAIN
This work, Service members prepare for Armed Forces Day, by SSG Coltin Heller, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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