FORT HOOD, Texas - As the clock ticked down, spectators rose out of their seats. The closer the clock was to zero, the quieter the arena became.
Then, at the sound of the buzzer, the American Airlines Center in Dallas erupted with a thunderous roar as enthusiastic fans, dressed in blue and white, celebrated the Dallas Mavericks beating the Sacramento Kings 107-103.
Standing among the excited crowd were 13 Fort Hood soldiers, who were able to enjoy the game on Jan. 31 due to the efforts of Staff Sgt. Bryant Green.
Green, the vice president of the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers program here, aspires to help soldiers by providing then not only access to recreational activities but also a chance to help others in need of assistance through the BOSS program.
"We all want to help soldiers, but we need to know the right way to go about it and find the best approach to assist them," said Green, an intelligence analyst assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division soldier. "We have the Army Community Service, resiliency training and other resources. Every situation is different. I have the BOSS in my tool bag."
The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native was introduced to the program after being recommended to become a representative by his first sergeant, 1st Sgt. Chris Ausbun.
"He was really passionate about these types of program," Green said. "He told me, 'If you are going to do it, do it right."
When the BOSS president was unavailable, he volunteered to stand in for her and give a presentation about the program to soldiers who has recently arrived at Fort Hood.
From there, he went from speaking to an average of five soldiers a week about BOSS, to briefing more than 400 soldiers at the Phantom Warrior Center.
Green's initiative set the stage for his recommendation for a higher position of leadership in the program.
"The vice presidency for the program at the time was vacant, and we needed someone with a high-caliber work ethic and be willing to step up," said Luis Rios, the BOSS administrator.
Soon after he began giving the briefings, administrators selected him to become the vice president for Fort Hood's BOSS program.
"When I became the vice president, I knew that if I'm going to be in this position, I owe it to the soldiers to not only to do the job, but to give it my best," Green said.
Going through the process of organizing events for all of the single soldiers within Fort Hood, Texas, takes a lot of time and coordination.
"We need to get permission, talk to sponsors, check the funding, go through a series of votes, and then we have to get soldiers to sign up," Green said. "But when it's all done, it's worth the work to see soldiers having a good time."
In addition getting soldiers out to live professional basketball games, he helps arrange tournaments for the soldiers to have some friendly competition among each other. Some of the more popular tournaments are basketball and video games.
He also provides opportunities to engage with the community for those Soldiers willing to spend their off-duty time assisting others.
"I see how Staff Sergeant Green reacts to work," Gutierrez said. "He showed me that regardless of rank anyone can help or may need help."
Green encourages soldiers to sign up and volunteer to help the community. He puts in long hours, so soldiers can work toward the Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, an award they can earn by performing volunteer community service.
His goal as the vice president is to have every single soldier on Fort Hood know about the BOSS program and participate in some shape or fashion, he said.
"I'm a strong believer in providing soldiers with a sense of purpose," Green said. "The better they feel about themselves, the better the impact is on their work performance."
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