The United States Army
07/03/2023 | News release | Archived content
Hohenfels community celebrates US birthday at Warrior Field
[Link] 1 / 6Show Caption +Hide Caption -JOINT MULTINATIONAL READINESS CENTER, Germany -- A crowd of spectators watches fireworks light the sky up during Freedom Fest July 3, 2023 at Warrior Field in the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment area. Freedom Fest is a celebration by U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria at the Hohenfels community of the independence and founding of the United States in 1776. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan Gatchell, USAG Bavaria Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Bryan Gatchell)VIEW ORIGINAL[Link] 2 / 6Show Caption +Hide Caption -JOINT MULTINATIONAL READINESS CENTER, Germany -- A crowd of spectators watches fireworks light the sky up during Freedom Fest July 3, 2023 at Warrior Field in the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment area. Freedom Fest is a celebration by U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria at the Hohenfels community of the independence and founding of the United States in 1776. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan Gatchell, USAG Bavaria Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Bryan Gatchell)VIEW ORIGINAL[Link] 3 / 6Show Caption +Hide Caption -JOINT MULTINATIONAL READINESS CENTER, Germany -- A crowd of spectators watches fireworks light the sky up during Freedom Fest July 3, 2023 at Warrior Field in the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment area. Freedom Fest is a celebration by U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria at the Hohenfels community of the independence and founding of the United States in 1776. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan Gatchell, USAG Bavaria Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Bryan Gatchell)VIEW ORIGINAL[Link] 4 / 6Show Caption +Hide Caption -JOINT MULTINATIONAL READINESS CENTER, Germany -- A crowd of spectators watches fireworks light the sky up during Freedom Fest July 3, 2023 at Warrior Field in the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment area. Freedom Fest is a celebration by U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria at the Hohenfels community of the independence and founding of the United States in 1776. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan Gatchell, USAG Bavaria Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Bryan Gatchell)VIEW ORIGINAL[Link] 5 / 6Show Caption +Hide Caption -JOINT MULTINATIONAL READINESS CENTER, Germany -- A crowd of spectators watches fireworks light the sky up during Freedom Fest July 3, 2023 at Warrior Field in the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment area. Freedom Fest is a celebration by U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria at the Hohenfels community of the independence and founding of the United States in 1776. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan Gatchell, USAG Bavaria Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Bryan Gatchell)VIEW ORIGINAL[Link] 6 / 6Show Caption +Hide Caption -JOINT MULTINATIONAL READINESS CENTER, Germany -- A crowd of spectators watches fireworks light the sky, including more than one photographer, during Freedom Fest July 3, 2023 at Warrior Field in the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment area. Freedom Fest is a celebration by U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria at the Hohenfels community of the independence and founding of the United States in 1776. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan Gatchell, USAG Bavaria Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Bryan Gatchell)VIEW ORIGINAL
JOINT MULTINATIONAL READINESS CENTER, Germany - Soldiers, civilians, Families and guests gazed up from Warrior Field as rocket followed rocket upward in trails of light into the night sky and popped and sizzled in colorful, luminous grandeur.
Community members of the U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria at Hohenfels, Germany celebrated the U.S. federal holiday Independence Day a day early, July 3 at the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment cantonment at Camp Underödenhardt.
As part of the event, Families competed against one another in friendly matches of human tic-tac-toe and volleyball. Children took off their shoes and bounced in inflatable houses. Vendors sold hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, and wings, and some of the Families even brought blankets and their own food out to the field so they could make a picnic of the event.
Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Cooner, an observer / controller - trainer with the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, attended the Freedom Fest with his Family.
"Being separated from America geographically, it's nice to have a taste of America," he said.
[Link] 1 / 5Show Caption +Hide Caption -JOINT MULTINATIONAL READINESS CENTER, Germany -- Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Cooner, left, an observer / controller - trainer with the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, sits with his wife Nathalie Cooner as both watch out for their child, off screen, during Freedom Fest July 3, 2023 at Warrior Field in the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment area. Freedom Fest is a celebration by U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria at the Hohenfels community of the independence and founding of the United States in 1776. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan Gatchell, USAG Bavaria Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Bryan Gatchell)VIEW ORIGINAL[Link] 2 / 5Show Caption +Hide Caption -JOINT MULTINATIONAL READINESS CENTER, Germany -- A crowd gathers in the line for food and beverages Freedom Fest July 3, 2023 at Warrior Field in the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment area. Freedom Fest is a celebration by U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria at the Hohenfels community of the independence and founding of the United States in 1776. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan Gatchell, USAG Bavaria Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Bryan Gatchell)VIEW ORIGINAL[Link] 3 / 5Show Caption +Hide Caption -JOINT MULTINATIONAL READINESS CENTER, Germany -- From left, Dalela Wang, an organizational defense travel administrator; Roger Wang, an observer/controller trainer; Joshua Cole II, baby; Joshua Cole, a member of the Joint Multinational Readiness Center budget team; and Ismael Serrano, senior chaplain observer-controller / trainer with JMRC, enjoy Freedom Fest July 3, 2023 at Warrior Field in the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment area. Freedom Fest is a celebration by U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria at the Hohenfels community of the independence and founding of the United States in 1776. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan Gatchell, USAG Bavaria Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Bryan Gatchell)VIEW ORIGINAL[Link] 4 / 5Show Caption +Hide Caption -JOINT MULTINATIONAL READINESS CENTER, Germany -- Maj. Keith Chiro, left, provost marshal for U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria at Hohenfels, and Sgt. 1st Class Louis Sandoval, take stock of the crowd at Freedom Fest July 3, 2023 at Warrior Field in the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment area. Freedom Fest is a celebration by U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria at the Hohenfels community of the independence and founding of the United States in 1776. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan Gatchell, USAG Bavaria Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Bryan Gatchell)VIEW ORIGINAL[Link] 5 / 5Show Caption +Hide Caption -JOINT MULTINATIONAL READINESS CENTER, Germany -- First Sgt. Erik Metcalf, left, who works in brigade operations for the Mustang Team of the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, signs up for a distribution list, as Daneisia Davis, middle, and Jacklyn Dydasco, right, a social media integrator with the JMRC, help him during Freedom Fest July 3, 2023 at Warrior Field in the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment area. Freedom Fest is a celebration by U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria at the Hohenfels community of the independence and founding of the United States in 1776. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan Gatchell, USAG Bavaria Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Bryan Gatchell)VIEW ORIGINAL
As Families got together and enjoyed the event, the evening deepened. Chris Anderson, an operations and plans specialist, took on the duties of MC and DJ and provided the Families music.
Finally, the main event took place, a display of fireworks under the watchful eye of the garrison's local fire department crackled above the crowd as the scent of saltpeter and sulfur billowed over the area.
The communities at Grafenwoehr and Vilseck hold their Fourth of July Celebration on the day itself from 5 to 11 p.m. During their event, the X Ambassadors, an American pop rock band, are scheduled to play a concert with fireworks to follow. Picnics are permitted, but no outside liquor is authorized.
To learn more about the Grafenwoehr event, visit the event page here.