JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, Va. - Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall celebrated the Army's 239th birthday with "hooah" style June 20, with an early morning run and cake cutting ceremony in the afternoon at the Dining Facility.
Director of the Army Staff Lt. Gen. William T. Grisoli led more than 2,000 participants on a 3.1 mile run that began at the Summerall Field parking lot, made its way through the Fort Myer portion of the joint base and Arlington National Cemetery and ended back at the parking lot.
Looking out over the Soldiers and Army civilians who gathered at 7 a.m. for the annual run, Grisoli thanked the several assistant secretaries of the Army and members of Congress who were on hand for the event.
"Most of all, I want to thank the men and women, both military and civilian, who serve in our Army every day and do what they need to do to keep this nation free," he said.
Grisoli explained that physical training runs are designed for commanders to check the physical fitness, health and morale of their units and that there were three things he took away from the birthday celebration.
"The number of battle streamers we have really, truly shows when we were needed, we were there," he said. "The number of years that have gone by and the generations of Soldiers and civilians that have served this nation really show us how we need to continue to pass the baton on to the next folks. We can never forget the folks who gave the ultimate sacrifice."
Grisoli made roll call a competition and had the units call out as loudly as they could when their names were called. Among those units participating in the run were the Audie Murphy Club; JBM-HH's Headquarters Battalion; Office of the Chief Legislative Liaison; National Guard Bureau; G-3/5/7; G-1; G-8; Office of the Administrative Assistant to Secretary of the Army; Inspector General; Installation Management Command; Judge Advocate General; G-4; Surgeon General; Joint Staff; G-6; G-2; Reserve; Office of Business Transformation; Corps of Engineers and The Old Guard.
Sgt. 1st Class David Palacios, a wounded warrior who currently serves as an aide to the command sergeant major of the Army Corps of Engineers, paused a moment when he was asked what the run and Army birthday meant to him.
"It's a celebration of memories and a long gratitude to the fallen that served before us and built the foundation for what we are now," he said.
The long formation of runners jogged in unison on installation streets. Echoing cadences were replaced with absolute silence, minus the sounds of thousands of running shoes hitting pavement, when they entered Arlington National Cemetery.
"This is a special day for our United States Army," said Col. Johnny K. Davis, The Old Guard commander. "Two hundred thirty-nine years of the Army being the foundation of our great nation and why our nation is as powerful as it is."
Cutting the cake were Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Staff Sgt. Jacob West of Headquarters Company, 3d Infantry Division (The Old Guard) and Soldier of the Year Spc. Anders Elremo of the 529th Regimental Support Company.
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