The Army’s 250th birthday is June 14, 2025, and since 1775 the Army's motto is “This We’ll Defend”. For 250 years, Army Soldiers and Civilians have served our nation.
FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. – Members of the 781st Military Intelligence Battalion (Cyber), Vanguard, have contributed their personal memorabilia to create an Army 250 Exhibit that spans back to the Revolutionary War to showcase their service – and their Families' service – in defending our country.
Lt. Col. Scott Beal, the battalion commander, came up with the idea of an Army 250 Exhibit to celebrate the Army’s 250th birthday. He said all the items were voluntarily provided by the men and women of the Vanguard, and in most cases, these are very personal effects including letters and uniforms.
“The idea behind this was to celebrate the best parts of the Army,” said Beal. “It’s also a means by which we bring people together, to celebrate the victories, to celebrate the wins… the things that make us who we are in that brotherhood and sisterhood we call the military.”
Because the Army 250 Exhibit includes the Soldiers and Civilians’ Family memorabilia, the artifacts also represent the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and the Army Air Corps as well objects from our allies and adversaries.
“From the Imperial German Army or the transition helmet we had, the first steel pot that came out in World War I,” explained Beal, who descends from a military lineage. “We even have French helmets, the Adrian helmet, as well as several things that were unique to the Army, the Doughboy helmet… It’s a relic and a piece of our history that is phenomenal.”
Although there are no U.S. Air Force memorabilia (yet), Beal said the Army Air Corps technically preceded the Air Force. Additionally, there are complete card sets from Desert Shield and Desert Storm that feature Air Force fighters, bombers, and cargo planes.
Retired Chief Warrant Officer 2 Frederick (Fred) Robbins is an Army Civilian assigned to the 781st MI Battalion and traces his family’s lineage of service back to the Civil War.
“I am a descendent of a family with a long history of serving in the military. While some of my relatives served in the other branches, the predominant share of my family has served in the U.S. Army and prescribe to the motto ‘This We’ll Defend’,” said Robbins, who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). “A member of my father’s side served as a combat soldier in all but two conflicts (War of 1812 & Mexican War) this country fought.”
According to Robbins, his Family has answered the call and fought for the ideas that the flag represents from Hamilton, North Carolina; Berlin, Maryland; New Haven, Connecticut; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and while scores of his Family has served, he wanted to take this opportunity to honor a few specific members of his family.
Robbins’ father, Spec. 5 (SPC5) Frederick A. Robbins Sr., served during the Vietnam conflict; Robbins senior’s older brother, Cpl. Albert Robbins, served as a combat medic during the Korean conflict; three of his great-uncles, left home to serve during WWII; Technical Sgt. (TSgt) Eugene Outterbridge, served as a tank commander, fighting under General George S. Patton’s 761st and 619th Tank Destroyer Battalions; Outterbridge brother, 2nd Lt. Kempton Outterbridge, served as a Tuskegee Airman; their younger brother, Spc. 4 (SPC4) Tamlin Outterbridge played with the U.S. Army Band in Europe; while their cousin, 1st Lt. Edith Outerbridge, served as a nurse in the Women’s Army Corps; and Fred Robbins’ grandfather, Pfc. William Robbins, served as an infantryman in the 367th Infantry Regiment, 92d Division during WWI.
“Two of my ancestors escaped enslavement to join the North Carolina 1st Volunteers Regiment Heavy Artillery (African Decent), later the 14th Regiment, U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery, during the Civil War,” said Robbins. “My mother, Hazel B. Robbins, and her sorority Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. play significant roles in the establishment of the Patriots of African Decent monument at Valley Forge National Historical Park honoring those who encamped with Gen. George Washington during the winter of 1777-1778. One was a Robbins’ ancestor.”
Robbins’ contributed the following news articles, books, and family photos associated with his family’s service to the nation:
• Photo of the Patriots of African Decent monument
• Newspaper articles about the 367th Infantry Regiment return from WWI
• Newspaper articles detailing the 619th Tank Destroyer BN combat actions
• Photo of TSGT Eugene Outterbridge and friend before WWII deployment to Europe
• Books about the 761st Tank Destroyer BN, 619th Tank Destroyer BN, and the book 1776 detailing the Patriots of African Decent’s encampment at Valley Forge.
There is a Frederick Douglass quote that Robbins’ learned from his family at a very early age.
“Once let the black man put upon his person the brass letters ‘US,’ let him get an eagle on his button and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pocket and there is no power on earth that can deny that he earned the right to citizenship in the United States.”
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Caitlyn Rodrigues, a cyberspace operations technician, with C Company, 781 MI Battalion, talked about her grandfather’s service in Vietnam, and her brother and father’s service in Afghanistan.
“I am a part of a family defined by decades of dedicated service,” said Rodrigues. “I didn’t grow up around my blood relatives, the closest family we had was when we lived in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and my grandparents were four hours away in a small town outside of St. Louis. My family is spread out from coast to coast, and we consider ourselves nomads, never feeling particularly tied down to any area.”
Rodrigues grandfather, Chuck Schuder served his country in the U.S. Army for 28 years. He was deployed to Vietnam as an armor officer and later as an Army psychiatrist.
“I don’t know much about his service except for the handful of funny stories he’s told about being held reliable for millions of dollars’ worth of equipment,” reminisced Rodrigues. “I do know a few things though – he loves his family deeply and is proud of them. He loves music: making it, teaching it, listening to it, talking long hours about it, and has a keen affinity with being able to pick up any instrument and play it well. Even at 80.”
Rodrigues grandmother graciously sent her a box full of things when she asked her for items:
• A stein from his time serving in Germany
• A shadow box of his service
• A plaque that’s been hanging above his computer since Rodrigues was a little kid.
• A (reel) tape from Vietnam – “I’m not sure coming or going. There’s a barely visible inscription that says, ‘Happy Thanksgiving.’ I’d like to believe that my great grandparents sent this to my great uncle or grandpa while away in Vietnam but I’m really not sure what’s on the tape.”
Rodrigues father, Steve Chavez, served as a 91G (fire control repairer), 18E (Special Forces communications sergeant, commonly known as a ‘Green Beret’), 19A (armor officer), and 18A (Special Forces Officer) and served for 28 years with the 5th Special Forces Group from 1993-2000; 7th SFG 2005-2010; 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne) 2010-2012; U.S. Army Special Forces 2012-2013; 1SFG 2013-2015; and his specialties and positions included: SF communications sergeant, scout platoon leader, SF officer.
She said her father served in Egypt, Kuwait, Ecuador, Colombia, and would joke that he might even own a home in Afghanistan.
“He made the international news three times, national news once, and he’s in a book,” said Rodrigues. “If we’ve ever met, you’ll know my dad is my biggest fan and greatest mentor. I grew up with a deep understanding of the sacrifices people made every day for our country. It wasn’t just something I saw on the news—it was a part of everyday life. It was his everyday reality. Some of the lessons I learned growing up were, (A) Handle things at the lowest level; (B) There’s always room for one more; (C) Go in and assert dominance quickly. Just kidding on (C)... maybe...”
Rodrigues said her father sent her a letter detailing the things he sent her for the battalion’s Army 250 Exhibit.
“He has a special place in his heart for war art. ‘Rather amusing shoulder boards, old school CAV insignia, old school CPT rank and SF patch. The watch your grandfather wore in Vietnam, my watch I wore in Afghanistan, and a sterling silver WWII CIB turned into a bracelet. I always wore the older stuff,’” recalled Rodrigues.
Rodrigues brother, Aaron Chavez, served as an 11B (infantryman) and 15T (UH-60 helicopter repairer/aircrew member) from 2008-2017 with 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 2d Infantry Division, at Fort Lewis, Washington.
“He sent me prayer beads, some items from Korea (patches and coins), and a comic book,” said Rodrigues. “When I asked him about the items this is what he told me, “A mullah outside of Kandahar gave me those beads, and he said, ‘I pray every day for your salvation, Allah knows you.’” My brother had been deployed to an intersection in the hopes of interdicting a missing American soldier. The comic book has a personal story, and to my brother, at the time, he said, “It didn’t seem the war would ever end.””
For Rodrigues, the items that she brought for the Army 250 Exhibit, “are deeply personal artifacts from my Family.”
She quotes an unknown author, “I didn’t join the army for mom or apple pie; I joined for the man on my left & right.”
Every Soldier and Civilian who contributed an item has a story to tell about their service and their Family’s service. Most of these stories, about their sacrifices, their tales of brotherhood and sisterhood, joys and heartbreaks, will never be heard.
Ken Segraves, deputy to the commander and senior civilian advisor, 781st MI Battalion (Cyber), Vanguard, and a retired U.S. Army command sergeant major who served in Afghanistan, the Balkans, Iraq, and other contingency areas, was another of the many Army Civilians to contribute their personal memorabilia to create an Army 250 Exhibit.
Segraves comes from a long line of veterans going back to the Revolutionary War and all wars since. He brought in his 50th anniversary book of the 10th SFG; his Desert Camouflage Uniform Boonie hat; a certificate of achievement from Saddam Hussein; and a memorial bracelet of a Soldier he lost in Afghanistan.
“To the Praetorians (780th MI Brigade), the Vanguard Family, and the United States Army, Happy 250th,” said Segraves.
Lt. Col. Beal said the Army 250 Exhibit will remain in battalion headquarters, at least, until June 14, when all the memorabilia will be returned.
“This We’ll Defend” since 1775.
Video interviews of Lt. Col. Scott Beal; retired Command Sgt. Maj. Ken Seagraves; retired Chief Warrant Officer 2 Frederick (Fred) Robbins; and Warrant Officer 2 Rodrigues, are posted on the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade (Cyber) DVIDS page at https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/780MIB-C.
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