Photo By Sgt. Ashley Sanders | Gold Star Families of Staff Sgt. Joseph Suponcic, left, and Master Sgt. Kelly...... read more read more
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FORT CARSON, Colo. – 71 years of history, legacy, lineage, Family and freeing the oppressed. 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) held an Organizational Week to honor 71 years of service, July 17-22, 2023.
During the week, there was no shortage of events for Operators, Enablers, Alumni, Family, special guests and friends of 10th SFG(A) to take part in.
The week commenced with a friendly, physical competition to determine The Fittest Original. Participants, who consisted of Operators and Enablers from across the battalions, completed three days of competition. The events included a weighted ruck march on day one, a 10-round workout for time on day two and a 23-minute CrossFit workout on day three.
The winners of The Fittest Original competition included one male and one female, along with an overall battalion winner. 2nd Battalion reigned supreme for all three categories.
But the competition was only the beginning. Day two of the Organizational week started with the 2nd Battalion change of responsibility ceremony, where former Command Sgt. Maj. George Graham turned over responsibility to Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Hammons.
Not only did the week include a change of responsibility, but day three presented 10th SFG(A) with a change of command ceremony, where Col. Lucas S. VanAntwerp, former Group commander, relinquished command to Col. Justin D, Hufnagel, new 10th Group commander.
Gen. Lawrence G. Ferguson, commander of 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne), served as the presiding officer over the change of command ceremony. During his visit, Ferguson also paid a visit to the 3rd Battalion facility to recognize and present awards to Soldiers for their service and dedication.
Day four was jam-packed with events, starting out with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, signifying the official opening of the newly built Human Performance Training Center. Shortly after, the final day of The Fittest Original competition resumed. Alongside those two events, the unit also put together a sports day event where teams from each battalion held friendly basketball, football and kickball tournaments to encourage teamwork and maintain esprit de corps.
That evening, 10th SFG(A) opened its compound and doors to welcome retirees and alumni of Group. “The Meeting” was an opportunity for past and present Originals to come together for an evening of reminiscing on the past, while discussing strides made in the present and for the future of the unit.
Even after such an eventful week thus far, 10th Group’s Organizational Week still had much to offer. Day five was all about Family.
Family Day provided the opportunity for Originals to invite their friends and Families to the compound for some fun and fellowship. There was no shortage of activities for everyone to participate in for the day. Battalions and other organizations set out tables to display clothing and information about themselves, food trucks were on the premises and live music was in full effect. There were also bounce houses, a petting zoo, UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopters on display, ATV rides and a dunk tank, featuring Hufnagel as the dunked.
The winners of The Fittest Original, Thorne Award recipients, as well as Special Forces Association scholarship winners were all recognized and awarded during Family Day.
10th SFG(A) concluded the week with the 71st anniversary ball, held at Boot Barn Hall at Bourbon Brothers in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The guest speaker for the event was tv personality Danny “Counts” Koker, whose father served in Bad Toelz, Germany, with 10th Group.
Throughout the week, 3rd Battalion hosted the Gold Star Families of Staff Sgt. Joseph Suponcic and Master Sgt. Kelly Hornbeck, who were both killed in action while serving in 10th SFG(A). The Families were able to attend the Group change of command ceremony, tour the compound and perform a flower dedication to their fallen loved ones.
| Date Taken: | 07.24.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 08.07.2023 14:48 |
| Story ID: | 450045 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 130 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Still Standing: The Originals Celebrate 71 Years, by SGT Ashley Sanders, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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