'Renegades' of the 'Bulldog' Brigade celebrate Veteran's Day with Hughey Elementary School
EL PASO, Texas – Hughey Elementary School held a Veteran's Day program and invited the Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division to join in on the celebration.
“Thirty percent of our children here are military [family members], so naturally inviting our military community partners was a must,” said Edmund Brezinski, the Hughey Elementary School Principal. “This is the second year we have been partnered with the [the STB] and we wanted to show our appreciation for everything the military does for us.”
Having a Veteran's Day program with the participation of Veterans really brings home the concept of the occasion.
“We want our non-military families to see and understand the importance of the Army and all other branches of service,” said Brezinski.
Even Soldiers had a different experience when mingling with the elementary-aged school children.
“I was surprised to see how informed the children were of the world,” said Pfc. Jamaica Simmons, a signal support specialist with the Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. “It felt good to hear the children saying thank you, and seeing some of them saluting us; it really made me proud to be a Soldier.”
“Some of my battle buddies have children that go to this school, so it was nice to see their kids smiling and waving at them,” said Simmons
The commander of the Special Troops Battalion, also known as the 'Renegades' was the guest speaker and he gave a short but sweet speech about what Veterans' Day meant to him and the importance of such a day.
“Veterans are ordinary people that do extraordinary things,” said Lt. Col. Lawrence Shepherd, the 3-1 STB Commander. “Today is a day to acknowledge these people and the extraordinary things they accomplish everyday.”
The ceremony was ended with a display of push-ups led by the Battalion Command Sergeant Major Command Sgt. Maj. Alvin Jones.
“The look on the children’s faces was priceless, they were imitating us doing push-ups and making muscles, it was really nice and shows me that people do care about us,” said Staff Sgt. Pinesha Davis, an analyst with the ‘Bulldog’ Brigade. “The children really made the ceremony fun and I enjoyed their participation”