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380AEW Article

Army's 1-7 ADA celebrates birthday at 380th AEW

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Amanda Savannah
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  The 1st Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment celebrated the Army's 237th birthday alongside Airmen of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing June 14.

The day's events included a five-kilometer ruck march, run or walk, and a patching ceremony. Army and Air Force members participated in the events together.

"It's an important day for the Army and a great day to be a soldier as any other," said Sgt. Mario Escobar, 1-7 ADA command group NCO in charge. "I'm glad we had an opportunity to share it with the Air Force here in Southwest Asia. The amount of gratitude just can't be written."

Lt. Col. David R. Baxter, 1-7 ADA commander, was also happy to share the day with the wing.

"Thank you all for celebrating the Army's birthday and sharing in our patching ceremony," he said. "What a great day to be in service to one's nation."

During the patching ceremony, Baxter and Sgt. Maj. Micheal Leach, 1-7 ADA command sergeant major, placed unit patches of the 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade on the right shoulders of the battalion's battery commanders and first sergeants, who in turn patched the rest of the formation.

Placing the unit patch, or shoulder sleeve insignia, on the right shoulder means the unit is actively participating in or supporting overseas ground combat operations against hostile forces. It confirms the soldier's status as a veteran of conflict.

"This simple act is significant on any day, but today is especially significant as we are gathered here to also recognize the birth of our Army," Baxter said. "I might add that our location [here] with our brother service, the Air Force, is most apropos, as they too share in our history when at one time, they were the Army Air Corps."

In addition to the battalion, Baxter and Leach also "patched" Col. Joel Jackson, 380th AEW vice commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Peter Stone, 380th AEW command chief, making them honorary members of the brigade.

The ceremony also included cutting the traditional birthday cake, in which the youngest and oldest soldier, and the youngest and oldest Airman, of the regiment and the wing cut the cake, along with wing and regiment leaders.

Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Walton, 380th AEW equal opportunity office manager, was one Air Force member who participated in the day's events.

"It's very important to be part of a joint force," she said. "Everything that we see in the Air Force and in the services, period, is more aligning itself to being joint and having the mindset of one team, one fight. Often times we don't get to be in locations where we get to see the Army and everything they do, so it's a good thing to be here at this time to take advantage of being a part of what they bring to the fight."

She said she particularly enjoyed the ruck march.

"It was a lot of camaraderie," she said. "The Army brings a lot of team spirit. The Air Force also has team spirit but with those two pieces merged together, it makes for a good team."