Photo By Sgt. Stephanie Cassinos Way | Guests at Camp Ripley's Soldier and Family Appreciation day watch a CH-47 Chinook...... read more read more
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By Pfc. Stephanie M. Cassinos
Minnesota National Guard Public Affairs
CAMP RIPLEY, Minn. - Face-painting, rock-climbing, a balloon send-off, caricature-drawings, a barbeque dinner and CH-47 Chinook helicopter fly-over were among many activities offered to Soldiers and their families at Camp Ripley's Soldier and Family Appreciation Day on June 21. Following afternoon activities were free performances by the 2008 Army Soldier Show and Texan country-singer Katie Rae Davis.
"This is the first time we have had an event like this with the Soldier Show," said Camp Ripley Post Commander Col. Richard A. Weaver.
In fact, having the 2008 Army Soldier Show at a National Guard installation was unique in itself.
"They wanted to bring their show to Camp Ripley. This was the first time it had ever been held at a National Guard Installation. A big part of it being held here was the success that the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 34th Infantry Division had while they were in Iraq," Weaver said.
Camp Ripley has hosted open houses for several years that have brought in as many as 2,500 guests to visit Post. Though this particular event was a first for Camp Ripley, Weaver said that it was a great success.
"We had a nice turn out of Soldiers and their families," said Weaver. "It gave family members a chance to spend time with their Soldiers here at Camp Ripley and for some of the family members it may have been their first time coming to Camp Ripley."
The event was coordinated and run by Weaver's staff with the help of volunteers.
"We had a large number of Soldiers working the event, but we also a lot of volunteers come to help us out," said Weaver. "There were a lot of people that put a lot of work into this and my thanks go out to all of them for making it a really successful event."
Weaver noted the importance of family in strengthening and supporting Soldiers in the Minnesota National Guard.
"Events like this are really important because families are the backbone of our National Guard. With deployments and training increasing over the last several years our families have had to make sacrifices along with our Soldiers and an event like this is meant to thank them for all that they do for our Soldiers and the National Guard. Without them our Soldiers could not complete their mission."
| Date Taken: | 06.27.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 06.27.2008 16:17 |
| Story ID: | 20921 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 202 |
| Downloads: | 146 |
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