Members of the Fort Huachuca Army Volunteer Corps who selflessly served the community throughout 2020 were honored at the annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony held April 21 at the Thunder Mountain Activity Center. (Right) Cheri Weber, director, Soldier & Family Readiness Center, presents Col. Jarrod Moreland, garrison commander, with a check for $356,782.40 representing the value of 13,117 volunteer hours served.

Members of the Fort Huachuca Army Volunteer Corps who selflessly served the community throughout 2020 were honored at the annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony held April 21 at the Thunder Mountain Activity Center. Stacey Hall, special guest speaker and wife of Maj. Gen. Anthony Hale, commanding general, U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence & Fort Huachuca, elaborated on the dedication and selfless service of volunteers.

Members of the Fort Huachuca Army Volunteer Corps who selflessly served the community throughout 2020 were honored at the annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony held April 21 at the Thunder Mountain Activity Center. Maj. Gen. Anthony Hale, commanding general, U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence & Fort Huachuca (left), commends Spc. Antonio Tyson, Alpha Company, 40th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, for volunteering 511 hours in 2020, many of which were accrued while deployed to Poland in support of Atlantic Resolve.

FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. – Members of the installation Army Volunteer Corps who selflessly served the community throughout 2020 were honored at the annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony held April 21 at the Thunder Mountain Activity Center here.

The recognition ceremony, held during National Volunteer Week, highlighted how important local volunteers were throughout the year.

“Given our limitations and the challenges COVID restrictions brought to volunteering in 2020, our Fort Huachuca volunteers did not waiver in their support of our community,” said Jessica Richter, Army Volunteer Corps coordinator and Financial Readiness Program manager. “Because of our volunteers, we can present a check to our garrison commander equivalent to the dollar amount for the 13,117 hours served for Fort Huachuca in the calendar year 2020.”

The hours equate to $356,782.40 worth of human resources and dedication, Richter said.

The Army Volunteer Corps mission promotes and strengthens volunteerism by uniting community volunteer efforts, supporting professional management, enhancing volunteer career mobility and establishing volunteer partnerships to support individual personal growth and life-long volunteer commitment.

Maj. Gen. Anthony Hale, commanding general, U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence & Fort Huachuca, introduced his wife and special guest speaker, Stacey Hale, who elaborated on the dedication and selfless service of Fort Huachuca’s volunteers.

“Your efforts helped us reach the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs to see us through a global pandemic,” she said. “National Volunteer Week is our chance to celebrate service. It’s our opportunity to shine a light on the people and the causes that inspire us to serve,” she said reflecting on this year’s theme,  The Value of One, The Power of Many.

“Their stories serve as an inspiration to others to take action, to realize their power, to make a difference, and to be a force that transforms our community.”

One Fort Huachuca Soldier volunteer didn’t let a recent deployment stop his desire to serve those around him.

While deployed to Poland in support of Atlantic Resolve, Spc. Antonio Tyson, Alpha Company, 40th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, took the opportunity to volunteer at an orphanage sharing American customs and traditions with the children.

“The effort led to traveling around Poland working with kids at several different schools to familiarize them with American people,” Tyson said.

When Tyson returned from his tour, he continued his volunteer work with Sierra Vista’s youth teaching boxing at Buena Health & Fitness Center.

“I feel, even though children are only 43 percent of our population, they are 100 percent of our future,” Tyson said.

“Engaging our youth can motivate them to be better people and good citizens. If we all engage them now, then it won’t matter what country they are from, gender, race or ethnic group, the sexual orientation they identify as, or where they come from.

“There is a lot of ignorance and bigotry in the world these days,” he said. “I believe making that change starts with engaging our youth.”

Tyson added that if we concentrate our efforts on developing our kids into adults, the world will be a much better place.

Tyson also volunteers time with the 40th ESB Soldier & Family Readiness Group. Cumulatively he dedicated 511 volunteer hours for Fort Huachuca.

Tyson’s efforts reflect the change he wants globally, and he encourages others to do the same.

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Fort Huachuca is home to the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence, the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM)/9th Army Signal Command, and more than 48 supported tenants representing a diverse, multiservice population. Our unique environment encompasses 964 square miles of restricted airspace and 2,500 square miles of protected electronic ranges, key components to the national defense mission.

Located in Cochise County, in southeast Arizona, about 15 miles north of the border with Mexico, Fort Huachuca is an Army installation with a rich frontier history. Established in 1877, the Fort was declared a national landmark in 1976.

We are the Army's Home. Learn more at https://home.army.mil/huachuca