Photo By Spc. Charlene Apatang Mendiola | (Left to right) Col. James Snyder, the oldest Army service member on VBC and commander...... read more read more
BAGHDAD - “Our Army is older than our country,” said Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, commanding general for United States Forces – Iraq, when he spoke to more than 200 attendees during the Army birthday celebration in the Al Faw Palace on Camp Victory, June 14. “We should be very proud of our Army heritage.”
Service members, civilians and Iraqi officials gathered in the rotunda to witness the birthday celebration of the nation’s oldest and largest military branch.
Stemming from a conscripted Army, Austin said this military branch has become the most professional, educated, and lethal Army in the world since its transition to an all-volunteer Army in 1973.
The overhaul of the Army doctrine, personnel and training took years to mature, but the Army has reached a level of proficiency and lethality that has never been achieved before, he said.
“Our Army is resilient,” he said. “The all-volunteer Army has been essential to our success in this period of persistent conflicts and our soldiers are what make our Army great.”
The celebration included a display of unit and company guidons that are currently deployed in Iraq, a video of the Army’s history, fine tunes orchestrated by the Tropic Lightning Band of the 25th Infantry Division and a cake-cutting ceremony.
The cake cutting is a tradition within the military which is performed by the oldest and the youngest service members of the branch.
As the oldest Army service member on Victory Base Complex, Col. James Snyder, commander of 804th Medical Brigade, said he was extremely honored and privileged to be a part of the ceremony.
Also having the honors of cutting the cake, Pvt. 1st Class Aaron Johnston, the youngest Army service member on VBC and a chemical operations specialist with 145th Brigade Support Battalion, said it was a pleasure to take part in the event alongside Austin and Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph R. Allen, senior enlisted advisor, USF-I.
The Army is indeed evolving professionally and technologically, Snyder said resonating Austin’s remarks. Throughout his 42 years of service, he has not seen the Army more sophisticated than it is today.
“For the work we have done here and what we do in the future will guarantee the safety of our country and the preservation of our freedom,” Austin said.
“The very things that we learned since Vietnam that made our Army better are now being shared with our Iraqi counterparts, he said. “We look forward to our work here in Iraq and we will continue to work with the Iraqis to strengthen the Iraqi security forces until we no longer have the ability to do so.”
Considering the circumstance and the environment, Snyder said the celebration was exceedingly professional and joyous.
Concluding the celebration, service members sang along as the band played the Army’s song.
| Date Taken: | 06.14.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 06.20.2011 04:58 |
| Story ID: | 72401 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 65 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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