Hawai‘i soldiers join nation in celebrating Army's 250th anniversary

Yahoo

a day ago

HONOLULU (KHON2) — The U.S. Army is marking a monumental milestone — 250 years of service to the nation. 1st Lt. James Pardee is one of 219 Hawaii soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division heading to Washington, D.C. to be a part of the celebration on June 14.
'I'm very excited for one to travel and also to see our nation's capital,' Pardee said.
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He is one of just a handful of soldiers representing the 25th Infantry in a national fitness competition.
'The top five personnel in the whole division were chosen to be part of this team,' Pardee explained. 'It's a great opportunity, not only to represent our battalions, our brigade, but also to present the whole division and to go off to then compete for the Army on its birthday. So for us, it's a huge honor.'
Festivities in Washington, D.C. include a parade along Constitution Avenue, a festival on the National Mall and a concert and fireworks display.For many soldiers, like SGM Andrew Porch, this milestone is more than a number. It's a tribute to generations of service, sacrifice and a steadfast commitment to protecting the freedoms Americans hold dear.
'The 250 years is older than the nation itself,' Porch explained. '[It's] no small feet, and we couldn't appreciate our leaders more for giving us a chance to showcase what the Army is into such a national crowd as part of it. It was the Army's birthday on June 14.'
The U.S. Army of the Pacific has hosted a series of events here in Honolulu this week in honor of army heritage week, and they have a huge community day planned on June 12 at Fort DeRussy in Waikiki.
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Porch said the military plans to land a Black Hawk and an Apache helicopter in the middle of Kuroda field for the event.
'The intent is to be totally hands-on, so they'll be able to climb around different vehicles and the aircraft, there'll be a working dog demonstrations,' Porch said. 'There will be multiple things down there and we encourage everybody to come out.'
The free event kicks off at 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on June 12. It's designed to strengthen the bond between the Army and the community it serves.
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