Third Army volunteers recognized for service

By Sgt. Beth Lake (USARCENT)May 4, 2010

Third Army volunteers recognized for service
Kimberly Webster (left), wife of Third Army/U.S. Army Central (Third Army) commander, Lt. Gen. William G. Webster, and Col. Jeffrey Brodeur, Third Army deputy chief of staff, present Tanza Cooper with a certificate of appreciation during Third Army’s... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

From Habitat to Humanity, to tutoring local school children or volunteering for their command's annual holiday party, Third Army/U.S. Army Central volunteers have demonstrated the value of selfless service over the past year by donating their time and attention to their community.

Third Army's Family Readiness Group recognized 46 of these volunteers for their service to the community and Third Army during its monthly meeting at Fort McPherson April 22.

Col. Jeffrey Brodeur, Third Army deputy chief of staff, thanked the volunteers before presenting them with a certificate of appreciation signed by Third Army commanding general, Lt. Gen. William G. Webster.

"Third Army is well resourced in many different areas," Brodeur said. "We have lots of Soldiers and are going to have brand new facilities, but one thing we are not well resourced in is time.

Thank you to all the volunteers for sharing your time with us." Kimberley Webster, wife of Lt. Gen. Webster, said by giving back, the volunteers stood out as examples in a unit where people and teamwork go hand in hand.

"We could not be anything close to what we are, the Third Army/USARCENT team, without our volunteers.

We emphasize how much your volunteering means to us as a team because that is one of the things that does make a strong team," she said.

Capt. Tammy Parker, deputy policies and programs officer with the Third Army G-1, was one of the volunteers recognized during the meeting. In addition to helping out with the Third Army holiday party, Parker served in the metro Atlanta community.

"Helping with the USARCENT holiday party was great, but the one (volunteer event) that I enjoyed the most was the 'Adopt A Family' during Christmas time from Perkerson Elementary," Parker said.

Parker said she adopted a Family whose mother had passed away earlier in the year.

The father was raising the children and was unsure how he was going to buy gifts. Parker explained the impact this event meant to her by explaining the importance of volunteering in her personal life.

"The experience of volunteering for everyone is different," Parker said. "Sometimes, well most times, you leave an impact on that child or adult that you have shared your time with as well as that person's Family. When a unit or organization gives back to the community, the community not only loves that unit or organization, but the individuals that are all associated with it."

Third Army volunteers have contributed to Fort McPherson's total of more than 33,607 volunteer hours at savings of $680,541.75 from 769 volunteers.

"We would not be close to successful if we didn't have tremendous volunteers," Webster said.