Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston –
More than 700 future service members, their families,
educators, business leaders and military members gathered in the Rosenberg Sky
Room at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio May 18 to participate
in the 5th Annual “A Night in Your Honor” sponsored by Our Community
Salutes-San Antonio.
After the invocation and dinner, retired Air Force Brig.
Gen. Dave Petersen, San Antonio Chamber of Commerce executive vice president
introduced the guest speaker, retired Marine Maj. Gen. Angela Salinas.
“We’re gathered to
celebrate with these men and women who have chosen to wear the cloth of
the nation,” said Salinas, who also serves as Girls Scouts of Southwest Texas
chief executive officer. “I am not convinced that we are saying thank you
enough to this generation, but I tell you there are some incredible, small
selective groups of wonderful people who continue to look for ways to say thank
you.”
According to Salinas, the event served as a first in her 39
years of military service.
The 2016 Colin Powell Award was presented to retired Army
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Richard L. Gonzales, Winston Churchill High School's
Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps
senior Army instructor.
After the presentation, representatives from each military
service presented OCS certificates to each of their respective honorees.
Additionally, each future service member was presented with their first
challenge coin.
U.S. Navy Cmdr. Karen Muntean, Navy Recruiting District San Antonio
commanding officer, served as the senior active-duty Navy representative.
“The young men and women being honored joined the military
to serve the American people, and I was glad to witness them getting to hear
for the first time, ‘Thank you for your service’,” Muntean said. “I could see the pride on their faces and
also on the faces of their parents and guardians who were also in
attendance. As I was presenting the
certificates to each future Sailor, I was reminded of how I felt at their age
and what an exciting career they have ahead of them.”
Our Community Salutes is a non-profit organization created
in 2009 by Dr. Kenneth E. Hartman to recognize and honor local graduating high
school seniors who plan to enlist in the military. OCS also provides future
service members and their families with access to educational resources and
connects them with military support groups.
Porter said its important enlistees and parents know about
the support systems available to provide help to both. And the community fair
gives them a sometimes first look at our military family.
“The reason we started the event was to let young men and
women, who made the decision to protect our freedom, feel the same pride that
other students feel when walking the stage at graduation and hearing all about
their scholarships and college choices,” said Porter, who serves as Extended
Academic Programs vice president at UIW. “These young men and women deserve
even more praise for their love of country.”
Seeing the glow of pride on the parents’ faces and the
nervous, excited looks on the faces of the enlistees makes it all worthwhile,
Porter said.