Members of the community celebrated the 236th birthday of the Army June 14. First created by the Continental Congress to fight Great Britain in 1775, the Army has held the longest tradition of serving the nation and protecting those within its boundaries.
As with many installations, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall invited servicemembers of all branches of the armed forces out to celebrate with a cake. Gathering between the Fort Myer Dining Facility and community center, those in attendance were greeted by 50 state flags posted upright in flag holders. At the end of the flags sat a table ready to hold the much anticipated birthday cake. The cake was decorated with the JBM-HH logo, Department of the Army logo and an outline of the United States with the American flag printed on top of it. The cake was frosted with red, white and blue frosting and read “U.S. Army birthday celebrating 236 years of service to the nation.”
The crowd assembled bowed their heads and became silent as Chap. (Lt. Col.) Matt Woodbery, JBM-HH installation chaplain, gave the invocation for the day’s celebration.
“Almighty God bless our time today as we celebrate 236 years of our Army,” said Woodbery. “Remember those countless millions of Soldiers who heard the call to serve and be committed to something larger than themselves.”
JBM-HH Commander Carl R. Coffman continued on with the birthday theme by talking about the heritage of those present, how every servicemember"Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen"are a part of the heritage being celebrated. “Two-hundred-and-thirty-six years is a long time to be in service to this nation,” said Coffman. “And know that right now, you are carrying the torch. There have been a lot of guys that have gone before us who have carried the torch in service to this country. You are carrying the torch today.”
After the commander’s speech, Coffman, JBM-HH Sgt. Maj. Necati Akpinar and Staff Sgt. David Howell, noncommissioned officer of the year, made the first cut in the cake with a saber.
Also included in the ceremony was a patriotic marching song played by members of the Fife and Drum Corps, as well as a rowdy, crowd sung version of the Army song. Also included in the entertainment was a rendition of the National Anthem sung by Sgt. 1st Class Christal Rheams, a member of The U.S. Army Band. Soldiers also showcased different uniforms from throughout the services history. “It was interesting. I liked to see the lineage of the different uniforms,” said Sgt. Delvin Wright, HHC USAG. “It’s another year but it’s another year that we are going strong as the best Army in the world. Happy birthday Army,” Wright said.
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