JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
“Be thoughtful about what you saw here today,” said Lt. Gen. John Evans Jr., U.S. Army North’s commanding general. He looked out across MacArthur Parade Field, speaking to more than 1,500 servicemembers, civilians and families after a fun run supporting U.S. Army North’s 2023 Warrant Officer Symposium as well as Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, May 4, 2023.
Evans’ comments followed displays of traditional Pacific Islander dances performed by natives of their respective areas and he encouraged the audience to understand what brought people together on this day.
“I listened to everyone’s stories, their heritage and background, brought together here in a land where we value freedom more than anything,” Evans said.
The fun run was only the start of the U.S. Army North Warrant Officer Symposium; a professional development forum targeting mentorship and team building for the more than 150 warrant officers based out of Joint Base San Antonio.
More than 100 East Central High School Hornets Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Cadets also participated in the in the morning event, fostering a community outreach element to the day.
“Our group of JROTC cadets here are working on becoming better citizens,” Evans said. “Many of them will answer the call of our nation. We’re looking for young men and women that come and represent the best of what America is and who we are.”
East Central High is US. Army North’s warrant officer sponsored school within the community.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg also participated in the run and expressed his appreciation for the Joint Base San Antonio team as a whole.
“We are the heart and soul of our nation’s defense because of what you all do every day, so thank you,” Nirenberg said.
The run was followed by a day of mentorship classes led by the most senior warrant officer in the Army and advisor to the chief of staff of the Army, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Yolondria Dixon Carter; the Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Army National Guard, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Brian Searcy; and other senior command chief warrant officers throughout the Army.
“The idea of the symposium was to provide mentorship, professional development, and team building for the 156 Joint Base San Antonio,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Sam Ngaropo, command chief warrant officer, U.S. Army North. “We wanted to get all these subject matter experts in on place to share knowledge, build networks, and set examples for our junior warrant officers, all while promoting recruiting initiatives.”
The symposium concluded with dinner at San Antonio’s historic Riverwalk.
“Team building was a critical goal for our symposium, and I think it was a huge success,” Ngaropo said. “It gave our future generation a live participative insight into the Army and helped our recruiters spread the word.”