By Pfc. Naveed Ali Shah
13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
FORT HOOD - The boy scouts of Troop 476 were in a state of shock and awe after viewing the might of the US Army Cavalry's impressive arsenal during a visit to the 1st Cavalry Division's museum and the Horse Detachment, Aug. 22, 2008, by eight scouts of the Webelos den, Boy Scout Troop 476, sponsored by 81st Adjutant General (Postal) Company, 15th Special Troops Battalion, 15th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary).
The boy scouts also had lunch with Lt. Col. Paula Lodi, commander, Special Troops Battalion, 15th SB, and Lt. Col. Jason Kuroiwa, commanding officer, 81st Postal. The boy scouts were presented with certificates and coins in appreciation for their community service to the Soldiers of the 81st Postal and the US Army.
The US Army and the Boy Scouts of America have a lot in common in terms of values and morals that are in-grained into the troopers from the beginning.
"We build future men by working to improve their character, and morals by strengthening their honesty and integrity," said Timothy Butler, scoutmaster, Webelos den, Boy Scout Troop 476.
The boy scouts had the opportunity to tour the 1st Cavalry museum with Soldiers from the 81st AG Postal, many of whom were former boy scouts.
"They get to tour the museum, and it's just a way to show them how we work as a team," said Staff Sgt. Antivon White, platoon sergeant, 81st Postal. The Georgetown S.C. native coordinated the event.
The visit was valuable to both the Boy Scout troops and the Soldiers of 81st Postal in many ways. The Boy Scouts had the opportunity to get up close and personal to some very heavy equipment with help from the Soldiers.
"One of my favorite parts was looking at the tanks and learning about all the different kinds of vehicles," said Boy Scout Nik Charping.
"It's pretty cool because we get to learn about different things in the military," said boy scout Cory Saur. "We learned about how the postal unit works."
While the boy scouts of the Webelos den are relatively young, the lessons they learn here will benefit them in the long run.
"The Webelos are mostly fifth graders, but it's important for them to get to know the unit that sponsored them and see what they do and how they support us," said Butler.
The Soldiers and troopers aren't the only ones who gain something from the visit, the scoutmasters also benefit from the volunteer work they do. They serve as counselors for the boy scouts and have a big hand in reinforcing the boy scout code.
"I love helping, supporting the boy scouts," said Butler, "Being a leader is very important. I enjoy making sure they're learning."
Community service is a two way street, though, and the boy scouts do plenty for the Soldiers as well. The scouts write letters and send care packages to encourage the troops during deployments to Operation Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom.
"It's really a worthwhile community involvement project," said Butler, "The boy scouts get to know the Soldiers behind the letters, and they see how important it is to support our troops especially when they're deployed."
The boy scouts especially enjoy making the care packages for the troops.
"They enjoy reading the letters, sending baked goods and things like Kool-Aid," said Butler.
Overall, the benefits of the visit were immeasurable compared to the relatively low cost of the day's events and with the success of the tour the boy scouts are sure to return home with the value of good lessons learned and a newfound appreciation for service members, said Butler.