Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Chlosta | Chief Warrant Officer 4 Deborah Blankenbaker, command chief warrant officer, 7th Civil...... read more read more
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RAMSTEIN AIRBASE, Germany — The U.S. Army Reserve’s 7th Civil Support Command hosted a ceremony at the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center food court to recognize and celebrate the U.S. Army Reserve’s 106th birthday, April 23.
The event featured static displays, video projection screens, local recruiters and retention capability demonstrations by various 7th CSC units, remarks by the 7th CSC commanding general Brig. Gen. Paul M. Benenati and a cake-cutting ceremony.
The Army Reserve was initially created in 1908 as the Medical Reserve Corps and in 2013 the 205,000 Army Reserve Soldiers provided more than 19,000 Citizen-Soldiers to support missions around the globe.
Sgt. Crystal Bublikova, a human resources noncommissioned officer with the 361st Civil Affairs Brigade, 7th CSC and Rosemead, Calif., native said, “To me the Army Reserve birthday means many years of successful service and being here in Europe gives the Army Reserve Soldiers opportunities to help the local countries and to learn different cultures and difficulties in these different countries. In the long run it is nice to look back and say ‘I gave to my country and other countries.’”
Her fiancé is a German national whom she met during her Kosovo deployment in 2010-12. She was looking for an opportunity to continue serving after she moved to Germany to be with her fiancé and that is how she found the 7th Civil Support Command.
“You should look into joining the 7th CSC because they are a great organization to work for,” Bublikova added.
The Army Reserve is designed as a complementary force to the active Army that provides combat service and combat service support at home and while deployed to any number of operations.
Post 9/11 the Army Reserve’s Soldiers and civilians have evolved from a strategic reserve to an operational reserve.
“The Army Reserve for the past many years has transformed,” said Brig. Gen. Paul M. Benenati, commanding general of the 7th CSC and a Mechanicsville, Va., native, in a speech before cutting the Army Reserve Birthday cake with the youngest and oldest Soldiers in the 7th CSC. “We [the 7th CSC] are responsible for all disaster response and all foreign consequence management here in Europe.”
The 2012 Total Force policy recognized the Army Reserve as an operational force and directed military branches to plan future operations utilizing reserve component assets and capabilities.
Maj. Tomasz Zaremba an operations officer with the 361st Civil Affairs Brigade, 7th CSC and Sloan, N.Y., native, said. “Unlike units in the states a lot of our Soldiers have lived here for a good portion of their lives. This gives us an advantage and understanding of the operating environment here in Europe.”
Pvt. Samantha Schwarz a power generator mechanic with the Medical Support Unit, 7th CSC and Leonburg, Germany native spent her very first day with the 7th CSC at the USAR birthday celebration.
“I think it is great that they have all the different units come out and support the birthday,” Schwarz said. “It’s kind of cool to see everyone come out to support that.”
Her stepfather is a retired Army chief warrant officer. His service inspired her to join the Army.
“I am glad I joined the 7th CSC because I can stay in school and be close to my family,” Schwarz said.
She is currently attending University of Maryland University College in Wiesbaden.
“At 106 years old it is safe to say that the Army Reserve has passed the test of time,” Zaremba said.
| Date Taken: | 04.23.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 04.29.2014 06:09 |
| Story ID: | 127993 |
| Location: | RAMSTEIN-MIESENBACH, RHEINLAND-PFALZ, DE |
| Hometown: | BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, US |
| Hometown: | FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, US |
| Hometown: | FORT MYERS, FLORIDA, US |
| Hometown: | MECHANICSVILLE, VIRGINIA, US |
| Hometown: | ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | WATERLOO, IOWA, US |
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