FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- Anyone who ventured into the 1st Brigade Combat Team footprint Saturday would have stumbled upon a real treat -- pun intended.
Just ask the hundreds of Soldiers and Families from the newly transformed 1st BCT who participated in the brigade's Fall Fest and Trunk or Treat event.
The three-hour affair was jam-packed with something for everyone. There were games, live music, a mad science lab, a photo booth, multiple costume contests, cars set up for trunk or treat, and a haunted house.
Command Sgt. Maj. Mark Belda, Warrior Brigade senior enlisted adviser, showed his fun side by dressing up as a pirate. He described the festivities in two words.
"Awesome day!" Belda said.
A week earlier, 1st BCT officially transformed, welcoming new members to the brigade. The timing of the fall fest was perfect, as it provided an opportunity for new and old members to bond.
Katie Perrone, family readiness group leader for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st BCT, said she thought it was especially timely for the brigade's newest Soldiers and Families.
"It's important for them to see that everybody here is welcome," Perrone said. "We want to make sure that they're greeted and welcome and that they feel like they're a part of 1st Brigade."
The resources required to pull off large-scale events like this one are nearly impossible without motivated, talented and selfless volunteers.
"Everybody really pitched in," Perrone said. "I honestly didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised."
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