Photo By Warren Marlow | First Army headquarters teams with local high school to impart valuable lessons on...... read more read more
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ROCK ISLAND ARSNEAL, Ill. - Football teams and Army units are both reliant on strong bonds. In that spirit, First Army headquarters personnel partnered with players from the football feeder program of nearby Alleman Catholic High School for a team-building event on May 8.
Approximately 75 students were on hand for the day, which was loosely based on the initial experience in basic training, including drill sergeants greeting participants as they stepped off the arrival bus.
1st Sgt. Christopher Redd, senior enlisted Soldier for Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, First Army, advised the attendees, “You’ll work together as a team. You’ll learn to overcome obstacles, which is something the Army does to keep our nation safe. And you’ll make yourselves better individuals - individuals of integrity, character, and perseverance. Some of you will succeed in these tasks, and that’s great. But find the person to your left and right and ensure they can as well.”
After a 15-minute cardiovascular exercise session, the students - clad in identical olive green T-shirts and black shorts - moved onto station training. There, they executed low crawls, litter carries, sled drags, and simulated grenade tosses with a tennis ball. Then it was off for a group run, featuring Army cadence. The nearly two-hour event emphasized physical fitness, strength building, endurance, mental stamina, and camaraderie.
Andrew Torres, an Alleman senior, said, “When I was a kid going to football camps, I never had anything like this, so it’s cool to see.”
For Kelly Honert, an 8th grader at the school, the day was all about, “Learning to be a good teammate. The Soldiers have led by example since they demonstrated good teamwork and they taught us how to execute our tasks.”
Jonah Verschoore, an Alleman senior, added, “This gets everyone together for a good time and a good workout as a group. They have to communicate with each other. It’s not just you on your own. They’ve been coming together as a team and keep each other’s spirits up. The Soldiers have been amazing to work with. They are making sure the students understand and they’re doing it in a professional way.”
Rock Island Arsenal Garrison Commander, Col. Daniel Mitchell, closed the day by telling attendees, “I can’t thank you enough for coming out here and partaking in this and working with our First Army teammates.”
| Date Taken: | 05.09.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 08.22.2023 10:06 |
| Story ID: | 451864 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 22 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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