MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – The Army’s display village, set up during the Hyundai Air and Sea Show at South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida, drew scores of visitors and potential recruits for Memorial Day weekend, May 25-26.
Created just a short distance from the beach at Lummus Park, visitors took the time to interact with Soldiers and take in the Army exhibits. Crowds formed at attractions that included an Abrams Tank and Patriot Battery.
With the goal of promoting recruiting in support of Miami Recruiting Battalion, the Soldiers in attendance collected information from 1,000 people while more than 9,000 people visiting the Army village.
Early on May 26, Capt. Hector DelSol, commander for Miami Recruiting Company, prepared for the second day of the event.
“What I can tell you about day one is that everyone was energetic,” DelSol said. “It was a very smart crowd that was interested in the U.S. Army. The young crowd in the military prime age bracket -- the population that we connected with – they were enthusiastic about learning about the U.S. Army. They were interested in learning about opportunities in the Army and how the Army is around the world.”
John McCammon, a Miami area ROTC recruiting officer, said he had talked with a lot of visitors at the event. Many of them were tourists from across the country.
“I was able to enroll four into our freshman class,” McCammon said. “One Soldier wanted to go Green to Gold. For those already in college, I show them how to enroll in ROTC with their classes.”
Organizers said there was a lot of interest in the vehicles and what they do. Soldiers manned the exhibits explaining capabilities and giving visitors the chance to climb onto armored vehicles and handle high tech weaponry.
From Miami, Giovanny Perez was taking in the displays and looking for information. His father, George Perez, was with him.
“I’ve learned a couple new things about the equipment out here,” the high school student said. “Like the Little Bird and sometimes they can use it for extraction.”
Is he interested in joining the Army?
“A little bit,” the youngster said. “The number one thing I’d do in the Army? Probably engineering. I like to see how things work.”
A smiling George Perez brought his son to the Army village to give him a broader look at what the Army offers.
“We came out to show him something different,” he said. “So that he could get a feel for what it is and what the Army does for us.”
High school junior Angel Estrada said his family saw an advertisement and traveled from Winterhaven, Florida, for the event. He had talked with several Soldiers including at the Army Marksmanship Unit.
“They were telling me about a new rifle that’s coming out,” Estrada said. “It’s good to know that they keep on developing things. It’s going to hopefully make things safer for our Soldiers.
“It’s my parents' anniversary this weekend,” Estrada said. “They love the airshows, so we came out. I haven’t seen an airshow like this before. It’s a big demonstration of the Army’s power.”
“Sometimes we forget what they do for us,” Estrada said of the Army. “We’re taking in everything, so we have a broader appreciation for what they do.”
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