Fort Polk observes U.S. Army’s 246th birthday
Published 12:37 am Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Pamela Sleezer
Fort Polk and its Joint Readiness Training Center honored the Army’s 246th birthday with a special celebration on Monday.
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Brig. Gen. David S. Doyle, who took over command of the installation in October, served as the keynote speaker for the event.
During his remarks, Doyle spoke of why he believes it is important to honor the Army’s birthday each year.
“People are the Army’s No. 1 priority. As we celebrate our Army’s birthday, our supporting tagline ‘honoring the courage of the American soldier’ reminds us that whatever challenges we face as a nation — a domestic or foreign threat, a natural or man-made disaster or a public health crisis — our Army will always be there to answer the call to serve and to support,” Doyle said.
This year’s Army birthday observance also marks several historical military milestones with it, including the 30th anniversary of Desert Storm, the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, the 50th anniversary of of the Vietnam War, and the 175th anniversary of the Mexican-American War.
Doyle reminded visitors that all were conflicts that called upon members of the Army to protect the interests of the country.
“Every soldier and Deparment of the Army civilian swears an oath to support and defend the Constitution. We will continue to support and defend those rights, and we will continue to defend and protect Americans and our nation from any threat, foreign or domestic,” Doyle said.
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The event culminated with a special cake-cutting ceremony that included the oldest and the youngest service members stationed at Fort Polk.
Command Sgt. Maj. Michael C. Henry, from left, Post Command Sgt. Maj. Logan Stillings, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Brig. Gen. David S. Doyle, and Lt. Col. Arlene Ledoux, 32nd Hospital Center, take part in the Army birthday cake cutting ceremony following a special observance on Monday at the installation.
