WIESBADEN, Germany - Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, commanding general, Army Europe, hosted an Independence Day ceremony at the Keyes Building on Clay Kaserne, here, July 2.
Independence Day, celebrated on July 4 each year , honors the birthday of the United States of America and the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It is a day of picnics and patriotic parades, a night of concerts and fireworks, and a reason to fly the American flag.
In addition to Army Europe and U.S. Army Garrison-Wiesbaden leaders, Soldiers, civilians and family members attended the ceremony, which kicked off the long holiday weekend. Though the holiday is Saturday, federal employees have Friday, July 3 off from work.
In a briefing in Washington, DC, July 1, Defense Secretary Ash Carter wished the men and women of the Defense Department a well-deserved Independence Day holiday, and said some service members would be working worldwide July 4th to secure the country and protect citizens, allies and partners.
"As recent terrorist attacks overseas remind us, those who seek to harm this nation and our friends take no holiday, and neither do we in the Department of Defense," Carter said.
Soldiers, civilians and family members are encouraged to be safe and make wise choices during any weekend festivities. Stay hydrated, make responsible decisions and have a plan in place to get home safe and ensure others around you get home safely as well.
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About us: U.S. Army Europe is uniquely positioned in its 51 country area of responsibility to advance American strategic interests in Europe and Eurasia. The relationships we build during more than 1,000 theater security cooperation events in more than 40 countries each year lead directly to support for multinational contingency operations around the world, strengthen regional partnerships and enhance global security.
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