Photo By Scott Sturkol | Members of the 451st Army Band of Fort Snelling, Minn., play a song selection June 14,...... read more read more
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Fort McCoy celebrated the 243rd Army birthday on June 14 with several special events.
The day started with a free drive-thru breakfast at McCoy’s Community Center at 6:30 a.m. Fort McCoy community members could pick from fresh fruit, yogurt, or doughnuts and coffee, orange juice, or milk. Army birthday T-shirts were also given away.
The Commander’s 5K Challenge started at 7 a.m. Participants who beat the commander’s time received certificates, and all participants received T-shirts.
Free car washes and bowling were available to Fort McCoy community members throughout the day.
The highlight of the day was the Army Birthday Luncheon at McCoy’s Community Center. Col. John Swanberg of the Installation Legal Office, Deputy Garrison Commander Lt. Col. Jared Corsi, and a Soldier participating in annual training at Fort McCoy cut the official Army birthday cake.
Chaplain (Maj.) Joe Grace II of the 84th Training Command gave the invocation, and the 451st Army Band of Fort Snelling, Minn., played live music during the celebration. A free luncheon was served to Fort McCoy community members, including cake and ice cream.
The U.S. Army was founded June 14, 1775, when the Continental Congress authorized enlistment of expert riflemen to serve the United Colonies for one year, according to the U.S. Army Center of Military History. George Washington received his appointment as commander in chief of the Continental Army the next day and formally took command July 3, 1775, in Boston.
“Back then, we were a group of ragtag patriots who took on the world’s strongest military to become the world’s strongest military,” Corsi said during the birthday luncheon. “And Fort McCoy is a part of that.”
Army installations celebrate the anniversary by hosting special events and celebrations.
The Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation organized the events at Fort McCoy with the assistance of local sponsors and volunteers.
For more information about the Army birthday and branch birthdays, visit https://history.army.mil/html/faq/branches.html. For information about DFMWR events at Fort McCoy, visit https://mccoy.armymwr.com/.
| Date Taken: | 06.21.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 06.21.2018 16:25 |
| Story ID: | 281850 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 67 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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