Sea Dragons celebrate MLK, civil rights pioneer

By Sgt. Kimberly MenziesJanuary 20, 2016

Sea Dragons celebrate MLK, civil rights pioneer
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Sherrie Campbell, with the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, reads the Martin Luther King Jr. Day presidential proclamation Jan. 14, 2016, during the 94th AAMDC Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Observance 2016 cer... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Sea Dragons celebrate MLK, civil rights pioneer
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The Island Praisers from A Life More Abundantly Island Church perform songs from the civil rights era, Jan. 14, 2016, during the 94th AAMDC Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Observance 2016 ceremony at the Fort Shafter Richardson Theatre. (U.S. Army photo b... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Sea Dragons celebrate MLK, civil rights pioneer
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Bryant C. Lambert, the command sergeant major of U.S. Army Pacific and special guest speaker, shares with attendees his personal and professional experiences with unit and equality Jan. 14, 2016, during the 94th AAMDC Dr. ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii - The 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command hosted a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Observance 2016 ceremony Jan. 14, 2016, at the Fort Shafter Richardson Theatre.

The event, a tribute to the civil rights pioneer and open to the United States Army Pacific's community for attendance, was intended to celebrate the positive effects of King's efforts.

This year's theme was "A Day On, Not A Day Off!!!, importance of change and positive progress through community service."

"In this program we wanted to celebrate the life of Dr. King, recognize the positive effect that his efforts have had on our military and our society and to support his commitment to community service," said Sgt. 1st Class Gene May Jr., the equal opportunity adviser for the 94th AAMDC.

"We had representatives from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife; Honolulu Habitat for Humanity and 808 Cleanups there to provide information about volunteer opportunities in our local community," he continued.

"We were fortunate to have the U.S. Army Pacific Command's Command Sgt. Maj. Bryant C. Lambert as the guest speaker for this event," said May. "Command Sgt. Maj. Lambert has been in the Army for over 30 years and was able to share with the audience his personal and professional experiences and how Dr. King's teachings are messages of unity and equality and have helped to make the Army and the Department of Defense stronger and more powerful."

Though King's messages may have originated in the past, Soldiers continue to recognize the significance in our world today.

"We all come from many walks of life and cultural backgrounds," said Master Sgt. Tamesha L. Hobbs, the logistics sergeant major with the 94th AAMDC. "We have to get to know one another and not judge a person because of who they are and where they come from. MLK's message is all about coming together as one and being a team. I tell my Soldiers all the time that this is not an individual effort, being in the Army will always be a team effort. MLK felt that we should all help each other. Soldiers have to come together and help one another."

"This is an important opportunity to celebrate and recognize the things that Dr. King put into motion that has helped shape our culture as we know it," said Sgt. Geysi Johnson, an observance attendee.

"Dr. King's message of equality, unity and brotherhood is important for Soldiers today, because the Army is one of the most diverse organizations to which you can belong," said May. "We have Soldiers from not only different parts of the country, but different parts of the world. It is important to understand that we have many different cultures in the Army and that those differences are what makes us so strong."

The observance was a poignant event that several attendees personally found memorable.

"My favorite part was the video of Soldiers with various ranks and cultural backgrounds reciting Dr. King's 'I Have a Dream' speech," shared Johnson. "I really felt the ideas that he was trying to convey."

"It was all memorable and inspiring," said Hobbs. "I have attended many MLK observances, and this one was completely different from those in the past. Utilizing Soldiers of all ranks, having outside agencies come in and support our organization to make the program remarkable, it was obvious that a lot of thought and effort went into putting this program together and making it a success."