US Army Warrant Officer Birthday Celebration On 7 July 2014, runners from the US Army and other military agencies in active, reserve, and retired status attended the Fun Run held at Fort Myer celebrating the 96th birthday of the US Army Warrant Officer Cohort. The local Lord Fairfax Silver Chapter of the US Army Warrant Officer Association (USAWOA) hosted the event, whose current president is CW5 Phyllis Wilson, Command Chief Warrant Officer of the US Army Reserve. The association’s members are from all components of Army service, some still serving and some retired. The chapter officers and members reflect that facet of service. There were over 50 runners present, including members from Task Force Awesome of the Warrior 360 organization, which is the physical empowerment and outreach arm of Warrior 360, providing opportunities to showcase the strength and resiliency of our wounded servicemembers during a variety of activities. Members of Task Force Awesome Members of the USAWOA enjoy the beautiful scenery of Ft Myer. The USAWOA also hosted a birthday cake cutting ceremony on Wednesday, 9 July, at the Fort Belvoir USO Warrior and Family Center. The featured guest speaker was LTG (R) Jerry Sinn, former Director of Army Budget Office and Military Deputy for Budget to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Financial Management and Comptroller. Also speaking was BG Gracus Dunn, Commanding General of the 85th Support Command and Deputy Commanding General of the First Army Division West. The ceremony included the cake cutting event, with the youngest warrant officer present, CW2 Wade Gettle, Jr, and the most experienced present, CW4 (R) Don Hess, cutting the cake alongside LTG Sinn. Other chapters and regional WO groups held similar ceremonies to honor the Cohort’s birthday. CW4(R) Hess, CW2 Gettle, and LTG(R) Sinn CW5 Wilson and LTG(R) Sinn Warrant Officers from the 377th TSC celebrate the Warrant Officer Cohort birthday Lastly, the association chapter hosted a best-ball golf tournament on Thursday, 10 July. There were fifteen teams of four, with awards given for the top three teams. Holes were sponsored by various local organizations, including Wegmans and the Association of the United States Army. It was a beautiful day to play, although the teams hurriedly finished up before the area thunderstorms blew in. CW5 Edwards, CW5 Wilson, CW5 Patton Thanks to Wegmans for their generous donation. A member of Task Force Awesome takes his second shot at the hole. Many AUSA members also belong to the USAWOA. All proceeds from the Fun Run, cake cutting, and golf tournament directly benefitted a number of charities, such as the Armed Forces Retirement Home – DC, Warrior 360, Boulder Creek Lodge, and Defenders Lodge. Next year’s events are already being planned, so watch for more information next Spring.