Photo By Sgt. Karl Williams | Spc. Rubidia Jaco-Melendez, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat...... read more read more
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KILLEEN, Texas — Killeen Independent School District awarded 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, with the 2009 Adopt-A-School Unit award at an award ceremony last month in Killeen.
"Long Knife," 2nd Bn., 7th Cav. Regt., was chosen out of 50 Adopt-A-School Unit entries in front of numerous guests to include superintendant of KISD, Dr. Robert Muller, for their exemplary volunteer service provided to the students and staff of Venable Village Elementary School.
2nd Bn., 7th Cav. Regt.'s Rear Detachment commander, Capt. Brandt Germann, was on hand to receive the 2009 Adopt-A-School Unit award.
"We appreciate winning the 2009 Adopt-A-School Unit award, but personally I've had a lot of fun helping out, and feel that we're the ones that should be thanking Venable Village Elementary School for allowing us the opportunity to help out with their students," said Germann, from Long Island, N.Y. "Most of the students at Venable Village Elementary School have parents that are deployed to Korea, Iraq, or Afghanistan, but when we show up in uniform, and they recognize the 1st Cav. patch. They give us hugs and ask if we know their parents; sometime I think we fill a void for them."
It's simple to understand the connection between the students of VVES and 2nd Bn., 7th Cav. Regt., Soldiers when you factor in 80 Soldiers volunteering more than 547 hours, said Cynthia Potvin, VVES' principal.
"The Soldiers were here because they wanted to be here; they were here because they want to give something back. If a Soldier's just coming to grade papers or just to avoid something, that different," said Potvin, from Killeen, Texas. "However, the Soldiers from 2-7 Cav. have been positive role models and mentors to each of the students they have encountered here at Venable Village Elementary School. It's been a 'love chain' between Soldiers and students, and it has made a difference."
VVES counselor and volunteer, Jan Marr, said she has been "awed" by the commitment and dedication shown by the Soldiers of 2nd Bn., 7th Cav. Regt.
Germann conveyed that he didn't want the Soldiers under his command to make a difference for a day but instead for a year, said Marr, of San Antonio.
"Recently, the school had a skating event on a Friday night, and we asked Captain Germann if his unit could support us. Even though they had two flights scheduled with some of their Soldiers returning from Iraq that day, 2-7 Cav. Soldiers showed up in-between flights — just an incredible commitment on their part," Marr said.
Spc. Rubidia Jaco-Melendez, a chemical repairer with 2nd Bn., 7th Cav. Regt., from Santa Ana City, El Salvador, told her husband the 2nd Bn., 7th Cav. Regt., 4BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Adopt-A-School sign in front of the VVES deserved to be there because the battalion earned it.
"I'm proud we were able to keep our commitments to the students and to Venable Village Elementary School. Now there's a bond between the students of Venable Village Elementary School and Soldiers of 2-7 Cav., but at the same time, I'm a little sad because I wish we could have done more," Jaco-Melendez said.
| Date Taken: | 06.09.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 06.09.2009 17:47 |
| Story ID: | 34801 |
| Location: | KILLEEN, US |
| Web Views: | 306 |
| Downloads: | 202 |
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