Courtesy Photo | The youngest and oldest soldiers in Fort Hood's Army Reserve formation cut the 105th...... read more read more
By Michael M. Novogradac, Division West Public Affairs
FORT HOOD, Texas - Soldiers and civilians celebrated the Army Reserve’s 105th birthday at First Army Division West’s chapel Tuesday with a cake-cutting ceremony and singing “Happy Birthday” and “The Army Song.”
The youngest and oldest soldiers, Spc. Benjamin J. Dunbar and Command Sgt. Maj. Evereth Stanton, both of the Hood Mobilization Brigade, cut the cake.
Staff Sgt. LaKendra Johnson, noncommissioned officer in charge of the Division West chapel, sang a laudable rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Brig. Gen. Gracus K. Dunn, Division West's deputy commanding general for support, joined Army Reserve Ambassador Dr. Henry J. Ostermann in speaking about Army Reserve history since its birth in 1908.
Dunn, who serves in a dual assignment as the commanding general of the 85th Support Command in Chicago, Ill., spoke about how reserve forces were called upon during World War II when the Army mobilized 26 Army Reserve Infantry Divisions.
“Most of our Reserve units that you see coming through Fort Hood,” he said, “have a lineage as an Army combat division.”
Dunn said his own 85th SC served during World War II in Italy under the Army’s II Corps, and produced four Medal of Honor recipients during that time. Today, the 85th SC channels all administrative actions for Army Reserve soldiers in Division West to U.S. Army Reserve Command.
“It wasn’t until Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm that up to 84,000 Army Reservists were again mobilized to support the nation’s interests,” said Dunn. “And since Sept. 11, 2001, over 220,000 Army Reserve soldiers have been mobilized to support 10 years of persistent conflict.”
“Today, our Army Reserve is a life-saving, life-sustaining force that provides critical combat support and combat service support for our Army, and has done so since World War I through our current operations in Afghanistan,” said Ostermann, who retired from the Army Reserve in 2008 as a brigadier general.
“You (reservists) develop your expertise in the civilian community and bring it to our Army,” he continued, “And our Army utilizes that to great benefit for our country. Let me thank you, your families and your communities for the many sacrifices that you have made.”
In addition to the Fort Hood celebration, Division West satellite units held 105th Army Reserve birthday celebrations at Arlington Heights, Ill., Fort Bliss, Texas, Fort McCoy, Wis., Fort Hunter Liggett, Calif., and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
Created in 1908 as the Medical Reserve Corps, today’s Army Reserve is a key complimentary operational force that supports the entire United States military in training and in combat, in 148 military occupational specialty fields.
The federal government created the Organized Reserve Corps in the National Defense Act of 1920, due to the success of the Medical Reserve Corps, and a growing need for a high-quality, skilled reserve force.
| Date Taken: | 04.24.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2013 17:59 |
| Story ID: | 105787 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 123 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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