FORT HOOD, Texas - Soldiers from the 3rd "Gladiator" Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd "Grey Wolf" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, gathered together for one night of food, fun and a great big "thank you" at the 3rd BSTB's social, Feb. 15.
The event, which was also sponsored by TXU Energy, was a way for the communities of Fort Hood to thank the Soldiers of 3rd BSTB for a job well done during Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08. The 3rd BSTB, who was stationed in the Diyala province of Iraq, returned from their 14-month deployment at the end of November and into early December.
"TXU Energy is excited to be here," said Kelli Rod, a representative of TXU. "We've had our employees support the brigade for the whole year with special kinds of cards and notes. We've also sent tons of items that all the different Soldiers could use.
"We're excited about all of that, but tonight, we wanted to spend some time with the Soldiers, thanking them for the sacrifices they and their families have made for us and our families," she added.
As the Soldiers piled into the event, they were greeted by a fine barbeque dinner, loud danceable music, a mechanical bull, sumo wrestling suits and other attractions to add to the fun.
"This battalion social was a chance for everyone to get together, have a good time and eat all that you could," said Pfc. Ashley Taylor, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd BCT, and a native of Timoanook, Ore.
"I did everything," she continued. "I rode the bull a few times and have the bruise on my leg to prove it. It's always worth the bruises to get to ride the bull. I also sumo wrestled and line danced."
"I played pool, rode the bull, sang some karaoke and danced," said Spc. Dustin Morrissey, 15th Personal Service Battalion, attached to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd BCT, and a native of Springfield, Ill. "It was pretty fun time."
Taylor and Morrissey also enjoyed a game of pool, in which Taylor claimed to have annihilated Morrissey. But both achieved what the social was all about - good fun with good friends.
"Getting everyone together to have fun was great," said Taylor. "[The event] was on a more personal level to where you could hangout and talk to everyone. It wasn't the everyday stand at parade rest, you actually got the chance to know everyone a little better and let loose."
"It's nice to get everyone together and not worry about rank," added Morrissey. "It does give you the chance to get to know those around you better. This event shows that we can be friends and that's really important to a unit because if you don't know your [noncommissioned officers] or officers, how can you trust them anywhere else'"
But for Rod, the best part of the evening was getting to see the Soldiers home, safe and happy.
"We've kept pictures of the troops up in our offices so we actually feel like we know who these troops are, so being here tonight is a blessing for me and a joy for our employees when I get to go back and tell them I got to see all these people, they were safe and with their families," Rod said.
She was also grateful for the opportunity to thank them for their service.
"When I left my home today, I told my 5-year-old what I was going to do tonight," she said. "She asked me 'what was a serviceman'' and I said 'like a Soldier who keeps us safe. I'm going to go down there and spend a few minutes with them tonight,' and she told me to make sure I tell them 'thank you.'"
"When you think about a 5-year-old remembering that it's important to thank those who are in the service, that's amazing, and that's why it's important for us, as a community, to thank these Soldiers," she said.
That "thank you" was well received.
"I felt welcomed home, very much," Morrissey said. "It was nice to see everyone happy and just letting loose, having a good time.
"It's also really nice to know that even that we're back now, the community still supports us, because if we can count on them here, we know we can count on them while deployed," he added.
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