Fort Buchanan Newcomers Fair connects people, resources to strengthen readiness

Courtesy Photo | Soldiers, future Soldiers, civilian employees and other members of the military community participated in Fort Buchanan’s Newcomers Fair Sept. 9 at the installation Community Club, allowing participants to establish points of contact and learn how to access resources across the Army’s home in the Caribbean.  

PUERTO RICO

09.09.2026

Courtesy Story

U.S. Army Garrison Fort Buchanan

FORT BUCHANAN, Puerto Rico — Soldiers, future Soldiers, civilian employees and other members of the military community participated in Fort Buchanan’s Newcomers Fair Sept. 9 at the installation Community Club, allowing participants to establish points of contact and learn how to access resources across the Army’s home in the Caribbean.

Ulises Marrero, Fort Buchanan acting garrison manager, said those connections are an important part of becoming a member of the installation community.

“Fort Buchanan is a family, and I don’t get tired of saying that,” Marrero said. “Whatever you need, you need to know who provides that service, and this is the opportunity for you.”

The Newcomers Fair emphasized direct interaction between participants and the people who provide services across the installation.

For Tara Ulrich, an Antilles Middle School teacher from Grand Forks, North Dakota, who recently moved to Puerto Rico, the event helped her become familiar with her new workplace and community.

“When you first start, everything’s a whirlwind, so having a little time here and getting to learn about all the services available is really beneficial,” Ulrich said.

The fair also reached future Soldiers before they depart Puerto Rico for initial military training.

Alishka Rivera, a future Soldier from San Juan who is scheduled to depart for training in January, attended the event to familiarize herself with the Army community and its resources.

“I think this is a great opportunity to learn about all the services Fort Buchanan has to offer and to better understand the resources available to us,” Rivera said.

Sandra Valerio González, a future Soldier from Camuy who is scheduled to depart for initial military training in October, also used the fair to learn about services available as she begins her Army career.

“As someone who recently joined, I didn’t know what services, facilities or options were available to us,” Valerio González said. “This is a great opportunity because now we can learn about those resources.”

Their participation highlighted how Fort Buchanan can connect future Soldiers with the Army support network even before they leave for training.

Those connections contribute to readiness. When Soldiers know where to obtain assistance, families understand the resources available to them and civilian employees can navigate installation services, the workforce can remain focused on accomplishing the mission.

Army Community Service provides programs and resources that support service members, families, retirees and Department of War civilians. Its programs include relocation and employment readiness, financial readiness, family advocacy, mobilization and deployment support, and the Exceptional Family Member Program.

As the Army’s home in the Caribbean, Fort Buchanan provides the infrastructure, services and workforce support that enable military forces to train, mobilize and deploy when required. The Newcomers Fair demonstrated that enabling the warfighter starts with ensuring the people behind the mission know their community and can access the resources they need to remain ready.

For more information about newcomer resources, contact the Army Community Service Relocation Readiness Program at 787-707-3682 or 787-707-3697. Community members can also download the My Army Post app and select Fort Buchanan for official installation information, services, community resources and real-time updates.

• Date Taken: 09.09.2026
• Date Posted: 09.09.2026 17:05
• Story ID: 574213
• Location: PR