FORT LEE, Va. – A special “Meet Your Army” celebration at Fort Lee Aug. 27 from 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. will feature military training demos, equipment displays, hands-on activities, music from the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Band, and a whole lot more.
Members of the public are welcome to take part in this unique opportunity to interact with U.S. military personnel and learn more about what they do and how they do it.
Guests can climb aboard a Bradley or Stryker fighting vehicle or take a peek inside of a helicopter. They can watch military police dogs in action or witness the cooking skills of Joint Culinary Center of Excellence Soldiers. “High-tech” features include virtual reality simulators, explosive ordnance disposal robots and satellite communication systems.
“This will be a day of fun and adventure unlike anything many families have ever seen or experienced in the past,” promised post officials. “In addition to the many planned activities, visitor can speak with America’s Soldiers and discover how their lives have changed because of their time-honored decision to serve in the nation’s armed forces.”
The Combined Arms Support Command is hosting the event in support of Army Recruiting. The latter organization is attributing a sharp decline in enlistments to the nation’s strong job market and a lack of overall public awareness about the military and what it offers to those who serve.
“We need to help young people and their influencers (parents, teachers, coaches, etc.) understand the Army is a viable pathway to achieving their goals in life,” read a recent U.S. Army Recruiting Command statement. “Military service offers stability and security, all within a workplace embodied by Army Values.”
Benefits such as 30 paid vacation days a year, free comprehensive health care, financial allowances to offset the cost of housing, ample chances for education and advancement, and opportunities to serve at the duty station of choice are nothing to sneeze at either.
“The Army recognizes that it must find ways to compete and expand the ranks,” USAREC further noted. “To achieve that objective, it is looking at a number of additional programs and initiatives designed to attract talent. [They include] a $50,000 bonus for critical skills and a $35,000 incentive to those who are able to join and ship to basic training within 45 days.”
With so many offerings on the table, CASCOM hopes members of the public will come out to Fort Lee on Aug. 27 to Meet Your Army and learn what military service is all about. Visitors without military identification or a post pass will be allowed to enter the installation through the Lee Avenue Gate, off Route 36. Anyone 18 years of age or older is required to present a valid state- or government-issued identification card to gate security guards.
Media interested in attending must contact Onyx Taylor-Catterson, CASCOM public affairs specialist, at (804) 765-4302, or (804) 735-8586, or onyx.l.taylor-catterson.civ@army.mil to coordinate attendance.
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Fort Lee is the Army’s Home of Sustainment and supports the training, education and development of adaptive Army logistics professionals. The installation supports more than 90,000 Soldiers, retirees, veterans, family members and civilian employees in the local area. Fort Lee has a regional economic impact of about $2.25 billion per year. Major organizations on the installation include the Combined Arms Support Command, Army Logistics University, U.S. Army Ordnance School, U.S. Army Quartermaster School, U.S. Army Transportation School, Defense Commissary Agency and Defense Contract Management Agency.
Fort Lee Public Affairs Office | 804.734.7451 | ArmyFortLee.PAO@mail.mil