Sweat, Golf, and Cake? OCAR Celebrates The U.S. Army Reserve's 114th Birthday

Photo By Sgt. Joseph Mcdonald | FORT BELVOIR, VA (April 23, 2022) – Children stand front and center as they exercised alongside their parents and U.S. Army Soldiers in the APFCT work out challenge. OCAR celebrated the U.S. Army Reserve’s 114th birthday with a week-long celebration. U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Joseph McDonald  

FORT BELVOIR, VA, UNITED STATES

04.23.2022

Story by Sgt. Joseph Mcdonald 

Office of the Chief, Army Reserve

Fort Belvoir, VIRGINIA -- The Office of the Chief of Army Reserve (OCAR) celebrated the U.S. Army Reserve’s 114th birthday with a week-long celebration.
For over 114 years, Warrior Citizens have integrated their military service with civilian careers, family, and personal lives, succeeding and thriving in the workplace and the battlefield.
“It is good to come together as a team and just be thankful,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Robert D. Harter, deputy chief of OCAR. “Since 1908, we've been supporting the nation starting with nearly 160 doctors, as a kind of a reserve augmentation to the nation's medical capacity.”
“In 1920, we more officially became a reserve corps and since then we have fought in every war,” said Harter.
In true Army Reserve spirit, OCAR Soldiers and civilians kicked off each day of the week with a daily physical fitness challenge, spearheaded by U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Marc Chiste of Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment (HHD), Office of the Chief, Army Reserve.
“We had a great turn out,” said Chiste. “114 deadlifts for Monday, and we sort of tie that into the ACFT on Friday.”
“We even brought the deadlift hex bar up to my office and had over 45 people come through and make their challenge, including Maj. Gen. Harter,” said Chiste.
A cake cutting ceremony took place Wednesday in the Iraqi Freedom room. The cake featured the John Parker logo in the middle and both the beginning and present date on the top.
“The cake cutting ceremony is more like preserving tradition,” said Kenneth McKoy, protocol officer for OCAR. “We want to take a pause in time and show our gratitude and respect to the Army Reserve.”
“Keeping in military tradition, we had the youngest Soldier and the oldest Soldier cut the cake with a saber,” said McKoy.
Other events included a golf scramble at the Ft. Belvoir Golf course and a ACFT workout and breakfast.

• Date Taken: 04.23.2022
• Date Posted: 04.29.2022 11:05
• Story ID: 419612
• Location: FORT BELVOIR, VA, US