FORT CARSON, Colo. — The Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC held its annual Armed Forces Luncheon May 19, 2022, at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel.
Nearly 400 current military members, retirees, veterans, Department of Defense civilians, government officials and the Colorado Springs community gathered to honor “best of the best” enlisted military members from the five military installations in the Pikes Peak region.
“Today we pay special tribute to our outstanding members of our enlisted forces,” said Kent Fortune, chair of the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Council.
The nominees included enlisted competitors from the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Space Force.
This year there were 17 service members who were nominated and split into three categories: junior enlisted, NCOs, and senior enlisted.
Each finalist was presented the eagle head trophy by Maj. Gen. David M. Hodne, commanding general, 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson, and a certificate of recognition from the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Council, presented by Beth Braaten, campus vice president of community relations at Colorado Technical University.
The three Fort Carson nominees were, Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Glander, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div., Sgt. James Delapaz, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Inf. Div., and Spc. Carlos Vargas-Medina, 4th SB, 4th Inf. Div.
Delapaz was appreciative that his efforts were recognized.
“I feel really honored to be nominated for something this big,” said Delapaz. “I go about my day-to-day tasks not looking for praise, but it is nice to know someone noticed my work performance.”
The event has a bigger purpose than naming its three winners, it was to bring the local community and military services together to express gratitude for enlisted service members’ dedication and service to the nation.
“We have a long and proud history of supporting our military in this community,” said Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer, president and CEO Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council. “Today as part of Armed Forces Week, we pay tribute to what I call the backbone of the military, our enlisted members and our noncommissioned officers.”
As the keynote speaker, Hodne expressed the importance of enlisted members getting the job done to ensure the services are ready to perform their mission.
“It is worth noting that those honored today, the teammates they serve with and the Families who support them represent the will and the skill of our nation,” said Hodne. “We can never thank our enlisted men and women enough for all they do each and every day to ensure operations remain ready.”
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