Posted on 12/15/2014 6:03:39 AM PST by SandRat
FORT HUACHUCA — Selfless service is one of a soldier’s core values.
It’s right in the middle of the seven values and basically means putting others before self.
For one soldier of Company A, 2nd Battalion of the 13h Aviation Regiment, what he recently did not involved mandatory actions of living the values of a soldier but reaching out to other soldiers who have children facing a bleak Christmas.
You see, Pvt. Robert Groenings is one of Santa’s elves who purchased four bicycles for children of Fort Huachuca’s soldiers, with a total value of about $400 although he would not say how much.
Friday, the battalion’s executive officer Maj. Adam Keown, presented the 18year-old soldier the battalion commander’s coin, noting that to him what Groenings did exemplifies selfless service “by supporting the Fort Huachuca community.”
While the coin has no monetary value and was presented at the end of the duty day formation before the training company, it was a pat on the back to a self-conscious Groenings, who was noticeably uncomfortable during the presentation.
As of Friday, 73 bikes had been donated to the post chaplains Christmas gift program, which this year has 450 children of soldiers needing help. Of the bikes 55 were donated by the soldiers and civilians assigned to the battalion at the Black Tower area where most UAS training is done on the post.
The soldier, who calls Naples, Fla., home said in his family “we help those in need,” saying “I was brought up knowing it is better to give than receive.”
Besides he said he had the money to buy the bikes on line because he said he gets room and board — the old GI expression of three hots and a cot — at no cost and while in the early stages of training to be an Unmanned Aircraft System operator, he can’t go off the post and except for some activities on the post such as going to a movie he does not spend much money.
Specifically Groenings purchased bike for young kids, in the 6 -to 9-year-old bracket.
“They all had training wheels,” he said.
The soldier and a couple of friends put them together — they came unassembled in boxes — placing mattress pads on the ground “so we wouldn’t scratch the paint,” he said.
A graduate of Barron Collier High School, where he was a member of the school’s JROTC program and played trombone in the school’s band.
Groenings has been in the Army less than a half year.
Friday he will join most of those in training on the fort, those in UAS training which is part of the Fort Rucker, Alabama, Aviation Center of Excellence, and those training at the Intelligence Center of Excellence on the Arizona post, heading home for the Christmas and New Year holidays.
And like many he is waiting to taste mom’s cooking again.
“She is a great cook,” he said as one can imagine he had visions of turkey, dressing and all the fixings filling his head and soon his stomach.
That is awesome
That is a Merry Christmas in the making.
Heh.
Kid gets a challenge coin but is too young to go drink in a bar to use it...
Or do they still serve "underage" military in the E clubs?
Do they even still have E clubs?
When I was stationed at Fort Riley (yuck) I would collect bicycles from the curb when people would put them out as trash. I’d then piece together working bicycles and have my kids test ride them. Once they were working I would give them away to a local charity that would pass them along to kids without bikes. In the five years there I put together a lot of bikes. Only thing I was out was my time and a little money for parts.
Pretty sure the on-post clubs still serve 18-yos (haven’t heard otherwise, anyway). In the kid’s case, the letter from the battalion commander that likely went into his personnel file is at least as useful.
An All-Ranks Activity Center.
They will serve non-Alcoholic only until they verify your age
Drinking age on base/post will typically mirror the state’s drinking age...at least that’s what they did when I was in the service. Lost track of how many states have 18 years old drinking age limits vs. the 21 years old.
There are not that many, if any E clubs around anymore...most have been consolidated into one and even many of those are on life support.
Good story, thanks for sharing.
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