470th MI Brigade Soldiers offer elementary mentorship

By Gregory Ripps, 470th Military Intelligence Brigade writer-editorApril 11, 2013

Jump
1 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Martin Teabout of the 470th Military Intelligence Brigade tries to inspire two students to master the obstacle course by jumping over a box backwards during field day at Bowden Elementary School April 5. The brigade partnered with Bowden Element... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Thatta Way
2 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Martin Teabout of the 470th Military Intelligence Brigade prompts a student to the next obstacle during field day at Bowden Elementary School April 5. The brigade conducted the field day in partnership with the school as part of the Joint Base S... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
More Obstacles
3 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. Sammy Rosado of the 470th Military Intelligence Brigade heartens two Bowden Elementary School boys as they proceed through an obstacle course during their field day April 5. The brigade conducted the field day in partnership with the school as p... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Rescue Mission
4 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Under the watchful eye of Spc. Kogan Stacey, Bowden Elementary School students run with stretchers carrying their "casualty" back to the starting point in a "rescue mission" competition. The "casualty" was in reality a duffle bag stuffed inside a T-s... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
High Five
5 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Cpl. Amanda Hymer of the 470th Military Intelligence Brigade shares high fives with a fifth-grader during Bowden Elementary School's field day April 5. The brigade conducted a field day in partnership with the school as part of the Joint Base San Ant... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Onward
6 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Martin Teabout of the 470th Military Intelligence Brigade directs two students to the next obstacle during field day at Bowden Elementary School April 5. The brigade conducted a field day in partnership with the school as part of the Joint Base ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
What's the Score?
7 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. Zane Hughes of the 470th Military Intelligence Brigade records times from teams competing in the obstacle course of the Bowden Elementary School field day April 5. The brigade conducted the field day in partnership with the school as part of the... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Over the Box
8 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. Sammy Rosado of the 470th Military Intelligence Brigade supervises two Bowden Elementary School students as they master an obstacle course during their field day April 5. The brigade conducted the field day in partnership with the school as part... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- The scores of happy young voices reverberating outside Bowden Elementary School probably sounded more excited than on other days when Soldiers of the 470th Military Intelligence Brigade conducted the school's field day there April 5.

The field day highlighted the Soldiers' partnership with the school through the Joint Base San Antonio Adopt-a-School program. Since last fall, about 10 brigade Soldiers have been going from Fort Sam Houston to visit the nearby school on most Fridays during the lunch period.

Although the Soldiers are assigned as mentors to specific fifth graders, the lunchtime setting allows for interaction among the Soldiers and a number of students of different grades.

"We usually arrive in the cafeteria about 10 minutes before the fifth graders," said Sgt. 1st Class Sandra Hocking, who has been coordinating brigade activities with the school. "The younger children always ask us a lot of questions.

"They initially asked us about our uniform, especially our patches," Hocking continued. "There is a lot of interest in what we do."

Over lunch, the fifth-graders talk with the Soldiers about how their school week has been going and sometimes about their homes and families.

"The 45 minutes goes by pretty fast," said Hocking. "But some of the Soldiers say it's the best part of their week."

Guadalupe Diaz, Bowden's principal, said it was time well spent.

"It's important for the children to have good, adult role models who demonstrate responsibility and integrity," Diaz explained. "We [the school] can provide the academics, the activity, the tutoring, … but we also need to provide that kind of mentorship. The Soldiers encourage them to be here [at school], to be on time and to be respectful."

The April 5field day gave more Soldiers and all the children at Bowden Elementary an opportunity to spend half a day together.

"The [San Antonio Independent] School District allows us a regular field day," Diaz said. "The Soldiers took it to another level. It's a great experience for the children."

Field day activities included a short Army-style physical training warm-up, an obstacle course and a "rescue mission." This last activity involved a short course that four children ran with a stretcher to pick up a "simulated" casualty (a stuffed bag in a shirt), return it to their starting point, then run in relays to the other end to pick up items and place them in a back pack and return.

The obstacle course consisted of five pushups, crawling through a box, jumping over a box, crawling under a camouflage net, stepping through hoops, and picking up and carrying small boxes to the end.

Soldiers timed the teams on both courses and awarded special prizes to the top three teams in each. However, they saw to it that all participants took home a small prize.

"I think we really helped the children learn teamwork, coordination and concentration," said Spc. Elijah Cavazos, one of the mentors, about the field day activities. But he said every visit to the school was rewarding.

"Every time we walk in, they treat us like rock stars," Cavazos said. "They are all very appreciative of us coming."