The JRB News Serving the Soldiers, Families and Civilians of the Jacksonville Army Recruiting Battalion
Volume 15, No. 4, Spring 2013
Jacksonville, Florida
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BECOMING STRONG. BEING STRONG. STAYING STRONG.
Our Community
salu t es
Lt. Col. Stephen Grabski,
commander, Jacksonville Recruiting Battalion, led the Pledge of Allegiance at the May 8, 2013, Our Community Salutes ceremony at THE PLAYERS Championshp, TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra, FL. The OCS ceremony was coordinated by the Jacksonville Battalion Community Advisory Board and coincided with THE PLAYERS’ earlier Military Appreciation Day events. The joint-service event was emceed by Mike Buresh, Chief Meteorologist, WTEV/WAWS. Parents, teachers and principals attended the ceremony, with Dr. Nikolai Vitti, superintendent Duval County Public Schools, as keynote speaker. Dr. Ken Hartman, founder and president of Our Community Salutes, also spoke. During the ceremony, Rear Adm. (Ret) Victor Guillory, Deputy Director, City of Jacksonville Military Affairs, Veterans and Disabled Services presented the Colin Powell Award to Terry Parker High School counselor Catherine Bekkedal, for supporting high school seniors who chose to join the military. Onehundred and thirty-seven Duval County public high school seniors volunteered to enlist into the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Florida Army National Guard, receiving specially-designed OCS T-shirts and coins. Photo by Cynthia Rivers-Womack
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the All-Volunteer Force
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Our Community Salutes Special Edition
Spring 2013
Maj. Lawrence Harris, USAF, Operations Officer, Jacksonville Military Entrance Processing Station, gives the Oath of Enlistment.
Spring 2013
Our Community Salutes Special Edition
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Dr. Ken Hartman
Dierks Bentley greets service members at THE PLAYERS Military Appreciation concert. Photo by MC3 Damian Berg
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Our Community Salutes Special Edition
Spring 2013
Dr. Nikolai Vitti, Cheryl Grymes, co-chair, Jacksonville Community Advisory Board and Dr. Hartman.
Rear Adm. (Ret) Victor Guillory presents the Colin Powell Award to Catherine Bekkedal.
Spring 2013
Our Community Salutes Special Edition
Dr. Richard Madsen, Jacksonville Community Advisory Board member, led the invocation and benediction.
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Our Community Salutes Special Edition
Spring 2013
Master of Ceremony, Mike Buresh, looks on as Dr. Vitti displays the OCS coin.
Spring 2013
Our Community Salutes Special Edition
Photo by MC3 Damian Berg
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Our Community Salutes Special Edition
Spring 2013
The Jacksonville Recruiting Battalion (JRB) News is an authorized publication under AR 360-81, published quarterly for members of the U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion, Jacksonville, Florida. Contents of The JRB News are not necessarily official views of, or endorsed by the United States government, Department of Defense, Department of the Army, or the Jacksonville Recruiting Battalion. The editor can be contacted at U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion, JRB News, Advertising and Public Affairs, 1851 Executive Center Drive, Suite 130, Jacksonville, FL 32207. Telephone (904) 396-2673, Fax (904) 396-4029, email: 3ebn-apa@usarec.army.mil. Visit the JRB website at http://www.usarec.army.mil/2ndbde/3ebn/ Follow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/USArmyJaxHammer. Become a Fan at http://www.facebook.com/ArmyRecruitingBnJacksonville. Commander - LTC Stephen J. Grabski Chief, Advertising and Public Affairs - April Johnson
Command Sergeant Major - CSM Gary R. Stiteler, Jr. Editor - Cynthia Rivers-Womack