The United States Army
09/26/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/26/2024 08:41
Fort Cavazos Soldiers have ‘BOSS-tastic’ time at Single Soldier Fest
[Link] 1 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption -Spc. Truly Wright, 151st Medical Augmentation Detachment, 11th Field Hospital, 1st Medical Brigade, participates in a bicycle race during Single Soldier Fest Sept. 20, 2024, at Phantom Warrior Stadium at Fort Cavazos, Texas. The event promotes camaraderie and socialization among Soldiers. (Photo Credit: Photo by Blair Dupre, Fort Cavazos Public Affairs)VIEW ORIGINAL[Link] 2 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption -Cpl. Kandice Pritchard-Harmon, Fort Cavazos Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers president, tries her hand at ladder ball during Single Soldier Fest Sept. 20, 2024, at Phantom Warrior Stadium at Fort Cavazos, Texas. (Photo Credit: Photo by Blair Dupre, Fort Cavazos Public Affairs)VIEW ORIGINAL[Link] 3 / 3Show Caption +Hide Caption -Single Soldier Fest attendees participate in a game of ladder ball, where the goal is to throw two balls connected by a string and have them hang on one of the rungs of the ladder, Sept. 20, 2024, at Phantom Warrior Stadium at Fort Cavazos, Texas. (Photo Credit: Photo by Blair Dupre, Fort Cavazos Public Affairs)VIEW ORIGINAL
FORT CAVAZOS, Texas - Phantom Warrior Stadium was full of music, fun and Soldiers during the 15th annual Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers Single Soldier Fest Sept. 20.
The BOSS program helps to support the overall quality of life of single and unaccompanied Soldiers and single-parent Soldiers, and events like Single Soldier Fest contribute to that effort.
"We're celebrating our single Soldier's assistance with the success of the Army's mission," said Cpl. Kandice Pritchard-Harmon, BOSS president.
During the event, attendees were encouraged to visit sponsor tents where they could learn about some of the off- and on-post resources available to them. There were plenty of team-building activities, such as badminton, volleyball, table tennis and relay races. The fest also had a gaming truck, food trucks and door-prize giveaways, which included TVs and kitchen appliances.
"(The activities) are things for Soldiers to be able to get out and connect with everyone," Pritchard-Harmon said. "They get to come, see old friends and make new friends."
Spc. Lacy Welbes and Sgt. Nilofer Schultz, 15th Military Intelligence Battalion, 504th Military Intelligence Brigade, participated in a game of badminton. Schultz echoed Pritchard-Harmon's sentiments, saying Single Soldier Fest provides Soldiers with a way to meet their peers.
"It's the single Soldiers that need the most help (meeting others)," she said. "This gives them the ability for all the single Soldiers to come together and meet each other."
Welbes agreed, adding it's helpful for new Soldiers to also educate themselves on resources.
"When I first got here, I was lost in the sauce," she said. "But these kinds of events educate you. So, I think they're really great, educational and helpful for single Soldiers.
"I've met tons of really cool people already," she continued. "I got so much good information from the last NCO (noncommissioned officer) that was (at the badminton station) an hour-and-a-half ago. I never would have met him or met anyone else outside my unit had I not come here."
Pritchard-Harmon's time as BOSS president is coming to an end, but she said Single Soldier Fest is a reminder the mission of the BOSS program will endure.
"Soldiers come and go, leadership comes and goes, but the mission remains the same, and the BOSS program will always be there for those who should need it," Pritchard-Harmon said. "This is just one way of us celebrating and highlighting that."
For more information on the Fort Cavazos BOSS program, call 254-287-6116, or visit cavazos.armymwr.com/programs/boss or www.facebook.com/FortCavazosBOSSProgram.