Fort Riley commanders pledge commitment to Army Families

By Parker Rome, Fort Riley Public AffairsJuly 31, 2009

ROCKIN' RANGER
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Country singer Keni Thomas "rocks out" during the capstone event of the 1st Infantry Division's Victory Week celebration July 31, at Camp Forsyth, Fort Riley, Kan. Thomas, a former Army Ranger, has a new album out entitled, "Flags of Our Fathers - A ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Riley commanders pledge commitment to families
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – After signing the Army Family Covenant, 1st Infantry Division Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne hands a pen to garrison commander Col. Kevin Brown. They are surrounded by Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks, commanding general of Fort Riley and the 1st Inf. Div.,... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Riley commanders pledge commitment to families
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – As he signs the Army Family Covenant, Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks, commanding general of Fort Riley and the 1st Infantry Division, is surrounded by 1st Inf. Div. Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne, garrison commander Col. Kevin Brown and garrison Command S... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Riley commanders pledge commitment to families
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks, commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley, Division Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne, garrison commander Col. Kevin Brown and garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Ian Mann, along with Army family members pose after... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT RILEY, Kan. -- Fort Riley's leaders reaffirmed their commitment to Army families when they re-signed the Army Family Covenant July 31, during the Victory Week Celebration.

Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks, commanding general of the 1st Inf. Div. and Fort Riley, Division Command Sgt. Maj. Jim Champagne, garrison commander Col. Kevin Brown and garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Ian Mann each placed their signature on the covenant, before the performance of country music singer Keni Thomas.

The official Army Family Covenant was originally signed Oct. 17, 2007, by Secretary of the Army Pete Geren and Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey Jr. Fort Riley signed its copy of the covenant Oct. 29, 2007, formally recognizing the sacrifices made by families on the home front while the Army is at war.

Fort Riley further pledged to continue existing family programs and services, increase the accessibility and quality of health care, improve Soldier and family housing, ensure excellence in schools, youth services and child care and expand education and employment opportunities for family members.

"We're very fortunate to be in a place where families matter so much," Brooks said before signing the covenant. "We're also fortunate to be in an Army that has committed itself, at the highest level all the way down to the lowest level, to taking care of our families and trying to say thanks back to them, through our deeds, not our words; the things we do that commit ourselves back to families who have done so much in service and sacrifice for us as Soldiers."

The covenant has helped the family of Sgt. Kevin Snow, who said he would have been unable to care for his four children without the Army's aid.

"The covenant has helped our family because, medically, I can't take care of my kids," Snow said. "The covenant has helped us in a way that it has paid for our daycare. The Army has looked out for our family, even after I was out of the Army. They still look out for families and veterans that have given so much."

Besides the re-signing of the Army Family Covenant, the Victory Week Celebration also included several sporting events, a division review, the Victory Park Ceremony honoring Soldiers who have died from Fort Riley in the war on terrorism, a family festival, Thomas' concert and fireworks to the music of the 1st Inf. Div. Band.

For full coverage of Victory Week and the Victory Week Celebration, visit <a href="http://www.riley.army.mil" target="_blank">www.riley.army.mil</a>.