Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Jessica Barnett | Chief Warrant Officer 4 Spencer Douglas (top), the communications and electronics...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – Members of the U.S. Army Warrant Officers Association on Joint Base Balad, Iraq, joined with soldiers and airmen and volunteered to beautify the United Service Organization’s building with a fresh coat of paint, Aug. 17.
“We are always looking for opportunities to volunteer our time and efforts towards worthy causes like this one, making it a better environment for soldiers, airmen and sailors that come and utilize the facility,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Peter Salvatore, senior instructor pilot with Company F, 52nd Aviation, 3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, and U.S. Army Warrant Officers Association chapter president, and a Glenwood Springs, Colo., native.
As soldiers and airmen tackled the halls inside, the Chief Warrant Officers painted the T-walls in the USO’s outdoor area a light blue to resemble water.
Volunteering within their community is one of the association’s many objectives.
“Volunteering is one of the things we are tasked with, but it’s also pretty much in every warrant’s unwritten creed, to add value without doing harm,” said CW 5 Anthony Brace, the command chief warrant officer, the senior maintenance technician with the 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), and a River Falls, Wis., native. “This is a way that we can add value to the community and we certainly aren’t doing any harm. The community gives a lot to us, and the community actually expects a lot out of the warrant core.
“With the exception of the aviation warrants we all come from the NCO core. With that we have a real heart for [soldiers]. The vast majority of the USO users are the enlisted, especially the lower enlisted. They don’t necessarily have the financial means to do all that we can do. So, the USO is helping them do all that. So, we can do a little bit to help the USO, to help them.”
Overall, the association was formed in November of 1974 as a “not-for-profit” association in Virginia. The association helps foster a spirit of patriotism and devotion to duty among members, commensurate with the high ideals of the Army and their positions therein. They also disseminate professional information among warrant officers, promote the technical and social welfare of their members, and promote a spirit of true camaraderie among members, according to the USAWOA website.
“The Warrant Officers Association provides a place for warrant officers of all levels to come together to find mentors and exchange information and experiences,” said Salvatore.
Many military and civilian service organizations are primarily staffed by volunteers.
“It is important for the association to volunteer their time to help out the community as a whole,” said CW 2 Darlene Pittman, G1 plans, 103rd ESC, and a Des Moines, Iowa, native.
“JBB needs lots of volunteers all over. This is just a little piece of what is out here to be done for the area to make it beautiful, to make it where you can come and enjoy yourself and relax.”
| Date Taken: | 08.17.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 08.30.2010 08:16 |
| Story ID: | 55390 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 39 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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