KAISERSLAUTER, Germany - As a command team, they are accustomed to leading and mentoring. When they stand in front of their formations, they can render hundreds of soldiers silent with a single word. Today, they will face a new challenge as they try to mentor a new group-the first grade.
The 21st Theater Sustainment Command's 21st Special Troops Battalion command team took time out of their day Feb. 7 to read children's books to students of a first-grade class at Kaiserslautern Elementary School on Vogelweh Military Complex.
Lt. Col. Patricia K. Wright and Command Sgt. Maj. Brian K. Mainor, the 21st STB commander and command sergeant major, respectively, each chose books they thought would best entertain the young students and promote Black History Month. During a 30-minute session, the "Always Ready" command team amazed and entertained nearly 40 students with pictures, words and questions, said Laurie Smith, the teacher of the first-grade class.
"They are doing a great job entertaining and reading to the kids... this is a very important thing they are doing," Smith said. "When our students see members of the military reading to them, it shows them that everybody reads."
Mainor, a native of Staten Island, N.Y., led the reading with the book The First Bear in Africa by Satomi Ichikawa, a tale of a young boy's teddy bear that is left behind after his family visits an African Village. As he read, he posed questions to the children about the pictures they were seeing and asked them to identify different animals described in the book. After reading, Mainor shared his thoughts on mentorship and why reading to the students was important.
"This is an important opportunity because it gives us a chance to interact with the community and especially the kids, and it gives us a chance to represent the U.S. Army," Mainor said. "Being here, reading to the kids and interacting with them is a real pleasure to me."
Wright, a native of Sheffield, Mass., followed with My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete, a story about a young girl whose brother is afflicted with autism. As she read, Wright asked the students questions about how the young girl interacted with her brother based on the pictures in the book. After, she explained that mentorship is something every soldier should strive to do within their community.
"Reading is fundamental, and I think children really enjoy having someone other than their teacher come and read to them," Wright said. "I think that soldiers should all try and volunteer. This is our community, and we should be involved."
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