Photo Essay: Scenes of Fort McCoy's 2022 National Hispanic Heritage Month observance, Part I

Photo By Scott Sturkol | Licensed Counselor Carmella Navarro gives her presentation during Fort McCoy’s 2022 National Hispanic Heritage Month observance Sept. 15, 2022, at McCoy’s Community Center at Fort McCoy, Wis. Navarro has experience working with the Army Reserve’s 85th Support Command and much more as a licensed clinical professional counselor. Navarro shared many personal experiences in her presentation. The 2022 National Hispanic Heritage Month observance at Fort McCoy was organized by the Master Sgt. Ana Guzman with the Fort McCoy Equal Opportunity Office. In addition to the guest speaker, the banquet room at McCoy’s Community Center was adorned with materials highlight Hispanic Heritage, and more. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)  

FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, UNITED STATES

09.26.2022

Story by Scott Sturkol                                                                                             

Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office           

Fort McCoy held its annual observance of National Hispanic Heritage Month on Sept. 15 at McCoy’s Community Center with a special event led by a guest speaker from Chicago. This photo essay shares scenes from that event.

The guest speaker for the event was Counselor Carmella Navarro, who has experience working with the Army Reserve’s 85th Support Command and much more as a licensed clinical professional counselor. Navarro shared many personal experiences in her presentation.

“The definition of courage is the ability to do something that frightens oneself,” Navarro said. “And most of my career has been connecting to others and also allowing others to see where working through the hard stuff really leads to great connections.”

Navarro’s presentation was about “connection,” which also reflects the 2022 Department of Defense theme for National Hispanic Heritage Month — “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation.”

“Unidos can be roughly translated to mean united, connected, or close,” states a presentation by the Department of Defense (DOD) Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI). “This concept of unity and togetherness giving us strength is one that has been long held by the DOD. It is a driving factor in our strive for inclusivity and equal opportunity.”

According to DEOMI, National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. Each year the DOD, along with the rest of the nation, recognizes the important contributions and rich culture of Hispanic Americans. Coinciding with important dates in many communities, such as various independence days in Latin America, Hispanic Heritage Month is one of the only DOD cultural observances which spans over multiple months.

The 2022 National Hispanic Heritage Month observance at Fort McCoy was organized by the Master Sgt. Ana Guzman with the Fort McCoy Equal Opportunity Office. In addition to the guest speaker, the banquet room at McCoy’s Community Center was adorned with materials highlight Hispanic Heritage, and more.

Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”

• Date Taken: 09.26.2022
• Date Posted: 09.26.2022 16:16
• Story ID: 430126
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US