CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait -- The 402nd Army Field Support Brigade came together as one to celebrate the brigade's 6th birthday on Oct. 16. It began exactly six years ago to the day as its motto "Readiness Power Forward" was on full display during the day's festivities.
The 402nd AFSB is commanded by Col. John Kuenzli and Command Sgt. Maj. Nathaniel Bartee Sr.
The distinguished guest at the celebration was Brig. Gen. Elizabeth Austin, commanding general, Army Materiel Command-Southwest Asia/U.S. Army Central, Logistics.
Sporting activities kicked off early that morning. All of the brigade's subordinate units attended. This included the Army Support Battalion-Kuwait, the Army Field Support Battalion-South West Asia, the Army Field Support-Qatar, and Headquarter and Headquarters Detachment, Army Field Support Brigade.
The sporting events were conducted with a Commander's Cup format meaning each unit's team competed against each other in the events and the team with the most points accumulated won the Commander's Cup Streamer.
The events were tug of war, kickball, frisbee football, basketball and volleyball.
The tug of war competition sparked the competitive juices and set the tone for the rest of the day. The overall winner was the Kuwait Battalion.
"The sporting events were fun. They promoted a lot of camaraderie among the battalions. We actually got to know the other battalions from meeting in one place," said Sgt. 1st Class Edith Canada, Logistics, noncommissioned officer-in-charge, HHD AFSB, from Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Md.
The sporting events were not the end of the celebration, however, as a ceremony took place following the events in one of the maintenance tents.
The tent was transformed into a ceremonial hall where the colors were posted.
The reading of the 402nd AFSB's history followed the posting of the colors. Susanna Driver of Schweinfurt, Germany, read the detailed history. Drive is the liaison officer for the Business Management Office.
The history spanned the unit's inception at Logistic Support Element-Iraq to its current operations at Camp Arifjan. Accompanying the reading of the brigade history was a slideshow displaying pictures of 402nd AFSB from 2006 to the present. Kuenzli followed up the brigade history with remarks that discussed the past, present, and future of the 402nd AFSB.
"For what we do and have done since our inception has been nothing short of extraordinary," said Kuenzli. He closed by wishing 402nd AFSB personnel a "Happy 6th Birthday!"
Following Kuenzli's remarks, the cake cutting ceremony took place.
Kuenzli and Bartee were accompanied by the brigade's oldest Soldier, Master Sgt.Donald John Guillory, Kuwait Battalion, and the youngest Soldier, Sgt. Benjamin Wagner of the Joint Robotics Repair Detachment- Kuwait.
The ceremonial saber was then used for cutting the cake. The saber, however, had a grand entrance of its own with the Joint Robotics Repair Detachment-Kuwait providing one of their robots to carry the sword to Bartee.
The saber was unsheathed by Bartee and, in unison with Kuenzli, Guillory and Wagner, he conducted the ceremonial cake slicing. The retiring of the colors and singing of the Army song ended the ceremony. A meal then capped off the day's events.
"It was a great event. Everyone as a whole was recognized from within the brigade. Everyone had a significant role. We are a part of history now," Command Sgt. Maj. Mary Jackson, 402nd AFSB SWA, from Yorktown, Va.
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