HUNTSVILLE, Ala. –
The Eagle Brigade conducted a community service project, in conjunction with Veterans Day this year, to support non-profit organizations in their local communities.
The project was driven by Col. James Welch, 2nd Recruiting Brigade Commander, in hopes to build relationships between Soldiers and organizations that provide services to citizens in their communities.
“Our recruiting NCOs and Soldiers are always serving our nation, to add to their efforts, we also want to have a presence in the communities in which we live and serve,” Welch said. “This project gives us the opportunity to not only do that but honor all the veterans who have come before us.”
In preparation for the project, recruiting NCOs collaborated with several public service organizations across the South-East.
They began their tour near the Mississippi River, where recruiting NCOs from Baton Rouge Recruiting Battalion collaborated with Keep Tiger Town Beautiful volunteers and the Red Stick Kiwanis Club, to pick up a large amount of garbage along the riverbank.
“Every year around Veterans Day we like to do some kind of community event,” Lt. Col. Adam Marsh, Baton Rouge Battalion Commander, said. “This year we’re teaming up with the Red Stick Kiwanis club and Keep Tiger Town Beautiful and even Louisiana University ROTC and we’re cleaning up along the riverbank."
Heading east toward the Tennessee River, NCOs from Huntsville Recruiting Company partnered with Free2Teach and Christmas Charities Year Round volunteers. Free2Teach provides free supplies to teachers in three Madison County, Alabama school systems. Christmas Charities Year Round assists in organizing & packing donated items to improve the quality of life year-round for Madison County residents in need.
West of the St. John’s River, in Florida, Soldiers from the Mandarin Recruiting Station partnered with the Wounded Warrior Project for the Carry Forward 5K to celebrate Veterans. Soldiers shared time with local Veterans and used the opportunity to highlight the military community.
Toward the Panhandle, NCOs from the Jupiter Recruiting Company joined Community Greening and the St. George's Society of Palm Beach in a tree planting event to help beautify the community and contribute towards the citywide goal of planting 3,000 trees per year to increase the tree canopy by 2035.
The Jupiter Recruiting Company also participated in the Stuff the Duffle Food Drive at various local Publix and Walmart stores within the Treasure Coast Community. Recruiting NCOs from the Ft. Lauderdale Recruiting Company partnered with Food for The Hungry by participating in their annual County Food Drive. NCOs assisted in helping attendees sign up to sponsor a child with the Food for the Hungry team and distributed food to families in need.
Soldiers and staff from Miami Recruiting Battalion partnered with the Ronald McDonald Foundation where they prepared brunch and dinner meals for the families residing at the Miami Ronald McDonald House.
And last, recruiting NCOs from the Miami Recruiting Company partnered with Miami-Dade County Sea Turtle Conservation Program to assist their team with clean-up of Haulover Beach Park.
Welch continues to encourage his commanders to take initiative and give back to the communities they serve.
“It’s a great way to develop an even stronger relationship with community partners,” Welch said. “This is a project that we will continue to pursue moving forward.”
Welch also explained that giving back to our local communities highlights what makes our Army great and exercises one of its most cherished goals: People First.