FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — A full schedule of activities was offered to the more than 200 Soldiers in training who stayed at Fort Leonard Wood over Holiday Block Leave, thanks to the joint efforts of the 1st Battalion, 48th Infantry Regiment, the USO and the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.
Whether it was off-post hosted activities in nearby cities, or on-post events, such as paintball and bowling, trainees were afforded the opportunity to participate in and enjoy many activities, while taking a moment to recharge prior to resuming training, said Capt. Esther Boadi, commander of Company C, 1-48 Inf. Reg. — the unit charged with hosting the holdovers.
“Holiday Block Leave is a chance for service members to de-compress from their stressful occupation, and the holdover activities allowed trainees to do just that,” she said. “Our mission was to ensure trainees remained engaged in activities that would help ease the stress of the holiday season, while also ensuring the safety and accountability of those staying in our barracks.”
In addition, FMWR Marketing Manager Nia Dickinson said giving the holdovers a delightful holiday season, while showcasing the hospitality of the Fort Leonard Wood community, was an important goal.
“FMWR assisted in organizing and hosting recreational activities, such as paintball at the Outdoor Adventure Center,” Dickinson said. “We also assisted in coordinating the overall schedule with the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, USO and sponsors.”
Arranging the events was a task in itself, Boadi said, but in the end, it all came together.
“Despite the heavy logistical and transportation demands to accomplish this mission, they were able to quickly organize and hit every curve ball to accomplish the mission,” she added. “I cannot think of another organization where a group of individuals can come together with no previous relationship and accomplish such a feat in such a short time.”
One of the trainees who stayed behind was Pfc. Kimberlie Colon, with Company E, 701st Military Police Battalion, who said it was nice to experience the break in training and spend the holidays with her newfound Army family.
“I had a nice Christmas,” she said. “We had a special lunch with a bunch of desserts, and it was really, really good food.”
Besides the food — the USO provided several meals for the trainees throughout HBL — other planned activities included a blood drive, where trainees were given the opportunity to provide life-saving blood products, many sports events, swimming at Davidson Fitness Center and more.
Newlywed Pfc. Cody Powers, a trainee with Company C, 3rd Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment, who decided to stay at Fort Leonard Wood to save his leave for his upcoming honeymoon, took part in several activities, but said one stood out to him the most.
“I went to go help the Boy Scouts with their trail cleanup, and that meant a lot to me, personally, because I’m an Eagle Scout myself,” he said. “It was very cool to have the opportunity to help out another Scout troop.”
For Powers, all the time and effort put in by the many volunteers who made HBL fun and eventful was much appreciated.
“Everybody here has been great,” he said.
Powers said the opportunity to get to know the drill sergeants in a less formal — but still disciplined — environment, and gain a better understanding of what he can expect as an active-duty Soldier, was one of the most positive experiences of HBL.
“I love all the drill sergeants and I can’t wait to see where I go from here,” he said.
More photos from Fort Leonard Wood’s HBL holdover unit activities are available on the Fort Leonard Wood Flickr page.
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