From fireworks to fitness: 2024 was blast at Fort Cavazos

FORT CAVAZOS, Texas - ­­There were many opportunities for the Fort Cavazos community to come together for fun and camaraderie in 2024.

Rock for the Brave

Thousands of Soldiers and family members gathered Sept. 28, 2024, at Phantom Warrior Stadium for "Rock for the Brave," an event aimed to celebrate Soldiers and their families.

The event was made possible by Fort Cavazos; Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation; Defense Commissary Agency; Army and Air Force Exchange Service; Procter and Gamble and partners.

"It's a culmination of about 18 months of work … to put on what I consider to be an iconic show of support to military families," said Marc Knowles, global military team leader for Procter and Gamble. "I learned a long time ago that it's critically important for the community surrounding the military community to support them (the military)."

There were many activities for families to participate in, including rock climbing, ladder ball and cornhole while event volunteers showered them with free items provided by sponsors. Entertainment included a BMX show, dog show, magic show by illusionist Kid Ace, stand-up comedy performance by Adam Yenser and a concert by country artist Cole Swindell concluded the event.

Appearances were made by other public figures including Chip Gaines of "Fixer Upper," Duff Goldman of "Ace of Cakes" and former professional football player Rob Gronkowski who held a meet and greet at the beginning of the day.

Amber Pafford, marketing and advertising manager for DFMWR, said it was heartwarming to see families having fun together during the event.

"It highlighted the sense of community and support that exists among military families at Fort Cavazos," she said. "The laughter, joy and shared experiences created a vibrant
atmosphere, reminding everyone of the strength that comes from these connections."

Freedom Fest

To celebrate Independence Day, the Fort Cavazos DFMWR hosted Freedom Fest June 28, 2024, at Phantom Warrior Stadium at Fort Cavazos.

Thousands of community members attended the beloved annual tradition to enjoy great food, fun, entertainment and fireworks.

Lance Pooler, deputy director of DFMWR, said preparing for the event is a demanding task that always provides great reward for the DFMWR team.

"Once we ... start seeing the local community and the Soldiers and their families start to pour into the stadium, it's basically just gratification for us," he said. "This gives us the enthusiasm to continue to do what we do, which is provide these types of things for our Soldiers and their families."

The festivities kicked off with a "Salute to the Nation" ceremony.

The ceremony consisted of Soldiers carrying the flag of each state in the order they joined the union. The sound of cannon fire echoed across the stadium as each state
was announced.

Artists were performing on two stages throughout the event, including country group Parmalee and pop artist Gavin DeGraw, who both took the main stage.

"It's great to come and provide entertainment (for service members)," said Matt Thomas,
Parmalee lead singer. "Every show we've ever done for service members has been awesome."

DeGraw said he was proud to be performing at The Great Place for the Fourth of
July celebration.

"This is the lifeline of the country right here," he said. "This is our fighting men and women. I'm proud to be an American, so I'm in the right place. Anything to celebrate our independence is up my alley."

Wild West Night

The Fort Cavazos Spouse's Club hosted their Wild West Night March 1, 2024, at the Lone Star Conference Center at Fort Cavazos, where they raised more than $40,000.

Wild West Night is one of the FCSC's fundraising events that allows them to award grants to charitable organizations in the community at their annual grant luncheon.

The theme was '90s country and the more than 350 guests showed up in their best western attire to line dance, ride a mechanical bull, enjoy casino-style games and participate in both a silent and a live auction.

"It was a night of high-energy, nostalgic '90s country throwbacks and dazzling cowboy and cowgirl attire," said Karissa Dolan, Wild West Night co-chair. "Throughout the entire evening, every time I looked around the room attendees were laughing, enjoying the company of others, and engaged in a variety of activities. We had a steady group enthralled with the variety of casino games, while others enjoyed conversation, the photo booth, the mechanical bull, line dancing and curious check-ins on their silent auction bids.

"Seeing our community and military coming together for an evening of fun and a goal of raising funds for grants that'll bless Central Texas nonprofits made all the coordination of the night worth it," she added. "Our goal was to create an event atmosphere that kept attendees engaged - the energy and excitement in the room was amazing! It was a fantastic way to round out our year of raising funds for community grants."

Housing area add-ons

Not only has Cavalry Family Housing and Lendlease opened up new housing on the installation, but many new amenities came to housing areas on the installation in 2024.

In January, a pickleball court was opened in the Comanche II family housing area. Life Scout Claire Kerfoot, who was 15 at the time, daughter of Col. Jeremy Kerfoot, 89th Military Police Brigade commander, and volunteers built a gaga ball pit near the pickleball court Comanche II Village playground in August. In September, the ribbon cutting for a new state-of-the-art dog park took place in the Heritage Heights subdivision.

Eagle Scout Ewan Choy, who was 17 at the time, Eagle Scout Troop 229, set up flag disposal boxes at the five community centers on post in October, and many Fort Cavazos residents had Level 2 Electric Vehicle chargers installed at their homes thanks to the partnership between TRO Energy Solutions, Lendlease and Cavalry Family Housing.

Ben Hogan Classic

Hundreds of Soldiers gathered April 26, 2024, at the Courses of Clear Creek at Fort Cavazos to participate in the annual Ben Hogan Classic Golf Scramble.

The free, three-person scramble is a highly anticipated event at The Great Place -
active-duty Soldiers typically line up on registration day and fill the 200 spots within an hour.

Throughout the event, participants were treated to food, drinks, swag bags and unusual activities at some of the holes including cornhole and using a hand-held cannon to make their first shot at one of the holes instead of using their driver.

Sgt. 1st Class Miguel Melo, III Armored Corps Inspector General's Office, was especially excited to be participating in the Ben Hogan Classic for the second year in a row.

He said the event is a huge morale boost for Soldiers at The Great Place, providing a break from their fast-paced workdays.

"When you're afforded the opportunity to come out here … take it," Melo said. "Soldiers that do have the opportunity … to come play at the Ben Hogan, come and get your swing on."

Maj. Gen. Thomas Feltey, then-III Armored Corps deputy commanding general of maneuver, now commander of 1st Cavalry Division, made some brief opening remarks before the golfers were sent onto the course.

"Thank you to the Ben Hogan Foundation for putting this awesome event on … and all of the volunteers that are out here in order to make this happen," he said. "Also a big shoutout to all of our Garrison staff that makes everything happen at the installation behind the scenes. We know you're the ones that make this happen. As we reflect on this awesome event and everyone coming together … this is what makes this place
The Great Place."

Cowboys 4 Heroes/Bumpers and BBQ

Attendees came out in droves to get a taste of authentic chuck wagon barbecue, shop at local vendor booths, enjoy a pumpkin patch, vote on their favorite modern or classic car and more at the Cowboys 4 Heroes/Bumpers and BBQ event Oct. 19, 2024, at the Phantom Warrior Center at Fort Cavazos.

"Cowboys 4 Heroes comes out to honor the veterans and the active-duty - the
first responders," said Norma Hernandez, Fort Cavazos DFMWR community activities
coordinator. "It's their way of giving back to them and honoring them today."

The Houston-based organization was founded in 2009 to assist combat veterans with the transition from active duty to civilian life.

Since their inception, Cowboys 4 Heroes donors and volunteers have provided more than 1.5 million meals and nutritional support to active-duty military, veterans, their families and first responders. This is in addition to providing more than $350,000 in educational support to Future Farmers of America and 4-H youth who raise the steer, which are locally processed and provided to the program partners to assist veterans and their families.

"When we first started doing this, the youth of Texas and then service members, it became such an easy group to serve," said Greg Liles, founder of Cowboys 4 Heroes. "It doesn't matter who you are, what side of the ledger you're on politically, male or female, young or old, it doesn't matter. It's such an easy group to serve, and they're underserved in a lot of ways."

New outdoor park

In October, the Fort Cavazos DFMWR, along with representatives of Kompan, a company that designs and constructs playground and fitness sites, and Fort Cavazos leadership conducted a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Abrams Outdoor Fitness Park.

The new facility funded by U.S. Army Installation Management Command will feature workout stations with equipment for different types of workouts, a multi-use court, walking/running track, play areas for children and more.

There is no other like it in the Army, and the aim of the $2-million facility is to give families a place where adults can focus on their physical fitness while still being near their children.

"(This facility) symbolizes not only our commitment to fitness but our dedication to innovation, readiness and community well-being," said Col. Lakicia Stokes, U.S. Army Garrison-Fort Cavazos commander, during the ceremony. "Physical fitness has always been a cornerstone of military readiness and building resilient units, Soldiers, families and communities. We recognize that the way we train must evolve to meet the challenges of tomorrow - this park represents that evolution."

Summer Inwood, chief of Sports Fitness and Aquatics for DFMWR, said the ground-breaking event marked the culmination of four years of planning, and the facility will be a great place for families to gather.

"Army regulations really prevent children from accompanying the parents, spouses or active duty, into the fitness facilities, so we really have to be creative and look for outdoor spaces where we can accommodate the need," she said. "This will be that. We will be able to provide a really great training modality, several modalities in fact. Whether it be group fitness or function fitness, CrossFit style, whether it be weight training, all of this will be encompassed by the ability to be able to bring your child into a safe environment while you work out."

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