What does it mean to be responsible?
Children and servicemembers debated that question across Fort Belvoir Elementary School Jan. 16 during the third installment of this year's Character Counts program, a partnership between the school and U.S. Army Garrison Fort Belvoir Headquarters Battalion.
"As long as we're responsible and we live up to our responsibilities, we can be the best people that we strive to be," Sgt. Derrick Beamer, 55th Ordnance Company (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) told second-graders during the event.
Beamer and Staff Sgt. Steven Huffman, 55th EOD, visited Karen Boston's class and led a lively discussion on responsibility, including why it's important to take care of pets, listen to parents, and even how Martin Luther King Jr. displayed responsibility when he led the Civil Rights movement (something the students had been studying).
"The kids were very actively participating. They seemed to be acknowledging everything we were saying, and they are a good group of smart kids," said Beamer, who is also the Fort Belvoir NCO of the Year.
"I loved it. It was great to get in front of the kids and have them interact," Huffman added. "It's something that they'll probably remember because it's different from your everyday experience."
Their message wasn't lost on students.
"I liked the Soldiers. I learned that responsibility is something that you really have to do, because if you don't, the world will be really bad," said Patrick Murphy, 7. "My responsibility here is that I have to answer the (class) phone when the phone rings. My responsibility at home is when my mom tells me to feed the cat, I have to feed the cat."
Micaiah Pride, 7, added that there are a lot of ways someone can be responsible.
"When you take responsibility … you listen to your parents or clean up your room, or take care of the things that you need to do," she said.
"I liked the pet talk," she added. "It's a big responsibility, taking care of your pets."
This is the second year of the Character Counts program at FBES. Once a month from November to April, Fort Belvoir servicemembers talk with FBES students about one of six character traits: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.
This month, Soldiers in the 55th Ordnance Company (EOD) led discussions and appeared on the school's "Morning News" broadcast to define responsibility.
"This was the first time in the program that a partner unit led the televised character discussion -- Headquarters Battalion and garrison leaders have accomplished this to date," said Lt. Col. Brian Zarchin, Headquarters Battalion commander. "It was great having the 55th EOD command team represent not only the garrison's effort to reinforce good character, but that establishing good character and community resilience is a team sport."
"They were natural fits to lead today's discussion on responsibility because the nature of their hazardous job demands competent and responsible Soldiers to ensure mission success without unnecessary injury or loss of life," he added.
Zarchin was also pleased that more civilians and new representatives from the Pentagon and Air Force joined the discussion, along with partners from other units that hadn't been involved previously. His goal is to eventually have enough participants to hold discussions in every FBES classroom.
Next month's Character Counts discussion on fairness will be Feb. 20 at FBES.
Character Counts is the largest character education program in the nation, and is based on the Josephson Institute's Six Pillars of Character.
For more information, visit http://charactercounts.org.
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