Published: November 09, 2011
Harvest Festival: Soldiers and Family Members of 205th Infantry Brigade
EDINBURGH, Ind. - Soldiers and family members of the 205th Infantry Brigade participated in a unit festival held at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, Ind.. The four-hour event, billed as Harvest Festival, included recreational events for Soldiers, single or married, and family members, said Wanda Breckenridge, family support technician with the 205th Infantry Brigade.
"We had 461 people here today; 155 of them children," said Breckenridge. "The biggest challenge was having something for everyone, married, single or kids."
This was the third year for the Harvest Festival, said Breckenridge, and it increases in scope every year.
Isabella Graziani, from Fort Knox, Ky., packs stuffing into a teddy bear during the 205th Infantry Brigade Harvest Festival held at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, Ind.
Photo: Staff Sgt. David Bruce, Atterbury-Muscatatuck Public Affairs)
|
"Planning for this started at the end of August and was ongoing until this morning," she said.
While events like these tend to get whitewashed as "mandatory fun" by Soldiers, the 205th Infantry Brigade took great strides to have a wide variety of events and activities, said Breckenridge. "We had televisions set up so (Soldiers and families) could get their Saturday football fix, we had poker tables, 16-player networked video games and car show."
Other events included pumpkin decorating, corn hole, sack racing, stuffed-bear building, hayrides and other games for young and old alike. "I'm having a real good time," said Tiffany Pierce, of Indianapolis, who accompanied her boyfriend, Staff Sgt. Shaun Bradley with 3rd Battalion, 411th Logistical Support Brigade. "Shaun and I don't have kids, but I brought my godson, Jaden, and he's really having fun."
Mary Elizabeth Elkins, of Batesville, Ind., descends a rock wall during the 205th Infantry Brigade Harvest Festival held at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, Ind.
Photo: Staff Sgt. David Bruce, Atterbury-Muscatatuck Public Affairs |
"This is a good event for morale and recreation," said Bradley, who was overseeing the hayrides. "This is a way to acknowledge the importance and all the hard work Soldiers do and sacrifices families make. The rewarding thing is to see all the people smile." The general consensus was that this was a good event and organizers were pleased with attendance and participation. "We have had positive feedback," said Breckenridge. "So far we've heard nothing but good things."
While these events are commonplace to all units in the Army, the 205th Infantry Brigade's family readiness group events are exceptional according to Staff Sgt. Lonnie Baker, with Headquarters Company, 205th Infantry Brigade.
"I've been to a lot of FRG events and nobody does them like the 205th," he said. "They really go out of the way to make it fun for the families so the kids want to come."
The 205th Infantry Brigade is a subordinate unit of First Army Division East, which mobilizes, trains, validates and deploys Reserve Component units at Camp Atterbury to support overseas military operations. Along with Reserve component units, the division's trainer/mentors prepare and deploy sailors and airmen, along with selected members of the interagency and intergovernmental departments, to provide trained and ready forces across a full-spectrum of operations to regional combatant commanders worldwide.
Maya Elliot and Maddie Rector attempt to stack machine nuts using chopsticks during one of the party games played during the 205th Infantry Brigade Harvest Festival.
Photo: Staff Sgt. David Bruce, Atterbury-Muscatatuck Public Affairs
|
Edna Bruner wraps Rachelle Redden in toilet paper during one of the party games played at the 205th Infantry Brigade Harvest Festival.
Photo: Staff Sgt. David Bruce, Atterbury-Muscatatuck Public Affairs
|
Staff Sgt. Shaun Bradley, of Indianapolis, attempts to catch a ping-pong ball using two lint rollers during one of the party games played during the 205th Infantry Brigade Harvest Festival.
Photo: Staff Sgt. David Bruce, Atterbury-Muscatatuck Public Affairs
|
Brooke Weeks, of Indianapolis, paints a pumpkin during the 205th Infantry Brigade Harvest Festival held at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, Ind.
Photo: Staff Sgt. David Bruce, Atterbury-Muscatatuck Public Affairs |
Search News
