"It's like a party," said 9-year-old Brandon Barker, who spent Brave and Bold Kids Day with his mother, a human resources specialist with the 198th Infantry Brigade.
"It's sunny. I'm with my mom. There's food, bounce houses, certificates, fishing, and they have prizes," he said. "I'm just excited that I caught a fish because usually I can't catch anything."
Barker was one of more than 150 kids who attended Brave and Bold Kids Day Friday on Sand Hill.
The event offered a chance for cadre to relax with their families before the start of the summer surge when they'll be busy with an influx of basic trainees, said COL Daniel Kessler, the brigade commander.
"It's no secret the Soldiers assigned to the 198th work extremely hard. Running basic training and producing the best Infantrymen takes a lot of time and effort - a lot of times at the expense of personal lives," Kessler said. "Once we start summer surge, most of these folks won't get a deep break until mid- to late September."
Kessler said they plan to make family day an annual event.
Activities included fishing, an airsoft shooting range, archery, inflatables, a barbecue and a "my big fish" award ceremony.
For 9-year-old Jessica Russell, it was a chance to be with her dad, SFC Joseph Russell, a drill sergeant with F Company, 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry Regiment."
"He's always working, so we don't get to go fishing very much," she said. "This is a day to go fishing."
SSG Michael Lewis, B Company, 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, said the kids day mattered because it gave him time to spend with his daughter, Carlee.
"It matters a lot," he said. "As drill sergeants, we don't have a life besides work, and with families, it's hard. My wife is pregnant, (Carlee) is 3, and it's a real tough job balancing that out with the work and the time.
"I think this'll work. I enjoyed fishing with Carlee. Fishing is my favorite thing to do, and I'm trying to pass that along to her."
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