On Halloween, Kindergarten Class Learns About Soldiers, Not Ghosts and Goblins

By Tony Lopez, First Army Public Affairs

MOLINE, ILL. - Wide eyes and curiosity were present when First Army Soldiers participated in the Hamilton Elementary School Career Day by sharing their U.S. Army experiences and talking about what they do in their everyday jobs.

Sergeant 1st Class Sofia Bulham, Sgt. 1st Class Jose Cruz and Master Sgt. David Utter visited Ms. Shelly Rumler's kindergarten class on Oct. 31 to give students an idea what it's like to be an Army Soldier.

The students were shown a brief Army recruiting video and then asked the Soldiers questions about tanks, shooting weapons, uniform patches and special skills badges. Sergeant 1st Class Cruz, who is an Army Career Counselor, asked the children if they were "ready to sign-up." Most were not ready yet.

First Army Soldier, Sgt. 1st Class Sophia Bulham, chats with Hamilton Elementary School kindergarten students while demonstrating U.S. Army field equipment, Oct 31. (Photo by: Tony Lopez, First Army Public Affairs)

Bulham spoke of how she was undecided about what she wanted to do as a career when she was attending high school in Michigan. Shortly after she visited a recruiting station in Lansing, she decided the Army was for her and she was off to Fort Jackson, S.C. for basic training. She has now served over 19 years in the military. Bulham's background is in culinary arts and she has worked as a senior enlisted aide for various general officers. Her duties include coordinating the general's calendar, preparing his uniform and preparing menu items during official functions.

First Army Soldier, Sgt. 1st Class Jose Cruz, demonstrates a U.S. Army medical kit to kindergarten students of Hamilton Elementary School, Moline, Ill., Oct 31. (Photo by: Tony Lopez, First Army Public Affairs)

The First Army Soldiers brought U.S. Army equipment and allowed the children to see some of the gear Soldiers wear or use in the field. "I think the hands on was the most enjoyable," Rumler said. "They loved trying everything on."

First Army Soldier, Master Sgt. David Utter, assists a Hamilton Elementary School kindergarten student with wearing U.S. Army field equipment, Oct 31. (Photo by: Tony Lopez, First Army Public Affairs)

The First Army Headquarters is based at the Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois. The mission of First Army is to advise, assist and train Reserve Component Soldiers during pre-mobilization periods. First Army conducts mobilization, training support, readiness validation and deployment of alerted forces. First Army also executes demobilization of Reserve Component forces in accordance with Department of the Army and United States Army Forces Command.