Fort Hamilton community observes Women's Equality Day

Photo By Edward Loomis | Sgt. Maj. Rhonda Byrd of the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy was guest speaker at U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton's Women's Equality Day observance at the Fort Hamilton Community Club on August 9, 2018. Her hometown is Evergreen, Alabama.  

EVERGREEN, AL, UNITED STATES

08.09.2018

Story by Edward Loomis 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers North Atlantic Division

Members of the Fort Hamilton Community came together on August 9 to observe Women’s Equality Day at the base’s Community Club in Brooklyn, New York.
The event planned and conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ North Atlantic Division (USACE NAD) based at Fort Hamilton featured guest speaker Sgt. Maj. Rhonda Byrd, who shared some lessons learned from a two-decade military career.
Originally from Evergreen, Alabama, Byrd challenged attendees to find inspiration and inner strength to achieve and to help others reach their objectives.
“I am very thankful for Sergeant Major Rhonda L. Byrd’s presence and participation as our guest speaker,” Master Sgt. David Foster, USACE NAD operations non-commissioned-officer and event coordinator. “She selflessly traveled from the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy in El Paso, Texas to support today's event.”
Following Sgt. 1st Class Hope Harrell singing the National Anthem and Chaplain (Maj.) Bruce Duty giving the invocation, the event also included readings about women who made a difference in U.S. history by USACE NAD staff members Lt. Col. Julie D’Annunzio, Keinet Williams and Luz Spann-Lobato, then closed with remarks by Fort Hamilton Garrison commander Col. Andrew S. Zieseniss.
Zieseniss talked about the significant changes he had seen in the opportunities offered to women in the Army’s combat arms units and how insignificant differences in gender have become in the way Soldiers view and regard their leaders. “At the end of the day, what Soldiers really care about is leadership,” he said.
Fort Hamilton is a small military installation next to the Brooklyn end of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in the Bay Ridge neighborhood. It hosts a range of tenant organizations, including several U.S. Army Reserve units, an Army recruiting battalion, the multi-service Military Entrance Processing Center for the New York City metro area and the USACE NAD staff with over 100 members.
“The cooperation and support I received from the garrison offices, including Director of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, Public Affairs, the Installation Chaplain, the Harbor Defense Museum, the Fort Hamilton Commissary, the Recruiting Battalion, Community Center, and various NAD personnel was phenomenal during my coordination,” Foster said. “I cannot thank them enough for making the experience smooth while contributing to the success of today's observance.”

• Date Taken: 08.09.2018
• Date Posted: 08.10.2018 14:53
• Story ID: 288259
• Location: EVERGREEN, AL, US