FORT JACKSON, S.C. (Dec. 4, 2014) -- Thanksgiving had a little bit of a different meaning this year for several families. While most families enjoyed a few days off from work and ate home-cooked meals, several hundred families traveled to Fort Jackson to participate in the Basic Combat Training graduation ceremonies for 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment.
Graduation activities started with the Family Day ceremony at Hilton Field and continued with the battalion's Family Awareness Brief. The briefing attempts to build on the many lessons learned from the unit's online Army Family Team Building program by augmenting them with briefs from Army Community Services, TRICARE, Red Cross and others. The goal is to provide family members with the tools necessary to assist their Soldier through their first duty assignment and to relieve stress from some of the unknowns that spouses, parents or fiances may have.
The family theme continued on Graduation Day when retired Brig. Gen. James Kennon served as the guest speaker. Kennon was a graduate of Basic Combat Training here in 1969. Kennon returned to Fort Jackson to join other family members to witness his grandson's graduation from Company B. Sherry McMaster, the grandmother of a Soldier in Company C, provided special support by providing 200 miniature flags to the Soldiers in the company. The flags were folded by the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council Alumnae Association in Orlando, Florida.
The events concluded with the battalion opening its dining facility to more than 1,000 Soldiers and family members. Cadre and family members of the Rock Force Battalion served their guests while the family members were able to experience military dining at its finest.
Lt. Col. Scott Sonsalla, commander of the 3-34th, said it was his favorite graduation to date.
"Giving the families a chance to eat in the DFAC and share that with their kids was awesome," he said. "The support from the parents and grandparents was exceptional."
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