13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Soldiers tour Temple

Photo By Maj. Raul Marquez | 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Soldiers tour through the Temple Historic District to view some early 20th century homes that were owned by some of the most prominent citizens of this railroad town. The Temple Chamber of Commerce hosted the Soldiers during a full day of discovery to highlight what the command's sister city has to offer on April 29.  

FORT HOOD, TX, UNITED STATES

05.02.2009

Story by Maj. Raul Marquez 

13th Armored Corps Sustainment Command (13th ESC)

FORT HOOD, Texas—Soldiers from the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) were hosted by the Temple Chamber of Commerce during a tour of the city's historical and industrial areas on April 29.

Over 130 Soldiers, family members and officers, including Brig. Gen. Paul L. Wentz, commanding general, 13th ESC, loaded busses to travel and experience the living, shopping, dining and employment opportunities the city of Temple has to offer its military members.

This full day of discovery started and ended at the Azalee Marshall Cultural Activities Center, one of the cultural hubs in the city of Temple, where the Soldiers met the tour organizers.

"With its gallery walls filled with arts and crafts by Temple students, the Cultural Activities Center was the most appropriate place for our Soldiers to begin the tour of this magnificent city," said Col. Carolyn Carroll, 13th ESC Chief of Staff.

Ken Higdon, Temple Chamber of Commerce president, Jim Granfor, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce's Military Affairs Committee and the Temple mayor, Mr. Bill Jones welcomed the touring Soldiers and thanked them for their service to our nation while other staff members served breakfast, which was donated by local business members.

The tour took the Soldiers through the historic district to view some early century homes that were owned by some of the most prominent citizens of this railroad town as described by the tour guides, and allowed for a glance at other historic buildings and shopping areas within the city.

Neil Coker, the director of the Clinical Simulation Facility at Temple College guided the Soldiers through the facilities, which, as briefed by Coker, it is a state of the art facility that could also serve as a fully operational hospital in case of a national disaster.

The Soldiers enjoyed a buffet-style lunch at the Hilton Garden Inn provided and served by Eyal Kaczur, the hotel's general manager, Marilyn Janes, the director of sales, and the hotel staff in their grand ballroom.

According to Kaczur, who is a member of the AUSA Adopt-A-Unit program and a supporter of Fort Hood's military community, once he heard the Military Affairs Committee was planning the tour of Temple, he volunteered to donate lunch for all the Soldiers.

The tour concluded with visits to the Texas Bioscience Institute and other local industries like Wilson Art and ACER.

"This was an eye-opening tour for me," said Master Sgt. Kimberly Bergman, 13th ESC senior career counselor. "When you are assigned to Ft. Hood, most Soldiers tend to gravitate around the base and the Killeen area, but now that I know what Temple has to offer, I will definitely get out to see more of the city."

• Date Taken: 05.02.2009
• Date Posted: 05.02.2009 10:15
• Story ID: 33122
• Location: FORT HOOD, TX, US