KILLEEN, Texas -- Soldiers from the 6th Squadron, 9th U.S. Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division served lunch to Ellison High School Students in a community outreach event, Nov. 21, here.
A delegation of Soldiers from 6-9 Cav. volunteered to serve this year's Thanksgiving lunch to the students of Ellison High School. Fifteen Soldiers traveled to the school and served a traditional Thanksgiving meal while wearing their dress uniforms.
After a quick uniform inspection, the Soldiers carpooled to the high school and were greeted by the cafeteria staff. The staff warmly welcomed the assistance for the day and offered the Soldiers portions of the food that would soon be served.
Once lunch began, there were positions for eight Soldiers on the serving line, while the remaining seven walked amongst the students and answered questions. "Are you Marines?" and "Why do you wear those hats?" were the two most common questions amongst the students due to the dress blue attire and Stetsons worn by the Soldiers.
"I think it's good for the students to see you in this uniform because they typically see (Soldiers) in the combat uniforms," remarked Dr. Floristine Gray, the high schools assistant principal.
This was not the first time that Soldiers from 6-9 Cavalry have interacted with the students of Ellison High School.
"When we returned from Iraq, we began our relationship with Ellison High," said 1st Lt. Stu White, the previous liaison with Ellison High School. "We offered tutors twice a week, and helped with special events like the school's annual field day."
After all the students had been served, the Soldiers helped clear up some of the lunch trays that had been left on the tables and shared goodbyes with the school's staff and employees. What had been a busy day of serving food and interacting with high school students was realized as a welcome break from the fast-paced work environment the Soldiers were accustomed to. They could now return to work refreshed with a feeling of accomplishment from their service to the community.
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