Photo By Airman 1st Class Dominique Ingram | Two attendees of the Baumholder Comic Convention peruse a selection of comic books at...... read more read more
BAUMHOLDER, Germany – It’s a phrase familiar to many the world over: “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…”
Multiple generations of science fiction and fantasy fans have been won over by these words and by the wall of brass fanfare that followed them on the big screen.
As was the case for 1st Sgt. Andre Corbin of the 16th Sustainment Brigade. Though, instead of a galaxy far, far away, Corbin resolved to bring that same brand of magic—of shared wonder and passion—to his home installation in Baumholder, Germany, in the form of “Baum-Con,” a comic convention, which took place May 20 - 21 in Baumholder’s Hall of Champions.
“Reading is important to me,” Corbin said, sporting a shirt emblazoned with the logo of a certain popular wall-crawler. “Just so happens I learned to read through comics. I’ve always found that if you put a book of any kind into a kid’s hands, then maybe that’ll turn on for them that desire to read—a desire to be more engaged and use their imagination.”
To that end, Baum-Con didn’t disappoint. For the event’s two days, the Hall of Champions’ roughly 5,000 square feet were packed with all the typical markings of, in Corbin’s words, the “geek community.” Comic books of varying genres were exchanged, collectible figurines were pined after and purchased, trivia tested the mettle of even the most passionate fans and Kaiserslautern and Baumholder children took center stage with opportunities to learn to draw comic art or have the art drawn on them by a volunteer face-painter.
While coordination for Baum-Con was a challenge, ensuring its success was always going to be a labor of love, Corbin said.
“I’m really excited about the turnout,” he said. “It’s a great community event, and it makes it all worth it to see so many smiles and so many families having such a great time. Organizing this event took a lot of effort, but having supportive leadership who heard my pitch and said, ‘Let’s do it,’ as well as some great help from our Morale, Welfare and Recreation team were big factors in elevating Baum-Con to being something special.”
Among the leaders present for the weekend’s festivities was Jason Tudor, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz executive officer, himself an avid comic book fan and writer.
Despite this year’s Baum-Con being the first of its kind within the Garrison footprint, it stands as a testament to Garrison leadership’s commitment to not just the Soldiers in the area, but the Soldiers’ families as well, Tudor said.
“Baumholder is an amazing place and the fact that 1st Sgt. Corbin took it upon himself to organize this and do it for the Garrison is amazing,” he continued. “You know, (U.S. Army Installation Management Command’s) first mission is taking care of Soldiers, family members and civilians through the services we offer. I think the Garrison is very excited that this came together the way it did and we’re seeing such success with it.”
Corbin, too, took time to acknowledge the work many organizations did to ensure the event stayed every bit the grandiose nerd mecca he envisioned it to be. From MWR to the Soldiers and volunteers who helped turn an empty auditorium into a vibrant convention awash with activities for every level of interest and age, Corbin was quick to offer praise.
“There have been a lot of people who’ve supported Baum-Con,” he said. “It feels good to see so many of us work together to accomplish this, not because we were told to do this, but because we all have this shared passion—this shared commitment to one another’s well-being.”
As the weekend wound to a close and the frenetic buzz that emanated from the auditorium tapered off into a dull hum following a final costume contest that served as the culmination of Baum-Con’s action-packed time at the Hall of Champions, there persisted a final question: “Was Baum-Con 2023 a one-off?”
Through a sly smile, Corbin’s answer was one of optimism. Community, however intergalactic or long ago or far away, will continue to mean something to those who need it, and those who need it will continue to find it.
“It’s in the tagline,” he said. “’Come get your geek on.’ Whatever you’re passionate about—whatever you enjoy—do it, share it and don’t be scared to try something different.”
| Date Taken: | 05.22.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 05.23.2023 08:31 |
| Story ID: | 445291 |
| Location: | BAUMHOLDER, RP, DE |
| Web Views: | 226 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Baumholder first sergeant uses “nerd culture” to foster learning, togetherness, by SSgt Christian Conrad, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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