‘Month of Military Child’: Kids, Soldiers celebrate at WCDC

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By 1st Lt. Zachary Scott-Grunwald

3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Combat Brigade Team, 4th Infantry Division

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FORT CARSON, Colo. — Spc. Fesuiaiga Lainia, a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear specialist with Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, helps children enter the back of a Humvee ambulance April 24, 2019, during a static display at West Child Development Center on Fort Carson. (Photo by 1st Lt. Zachary Scott-Grunwald)

FORT CARSON, Colo. — Soldiers with Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, recognized and celebrated Month of the Military Child April 24, 2019, at the West Child Development Center (WCDC). Soldiers showed their support by visiting children of WCDC and giving them an overview of what their mothers and fathers do on a daily basis.

A static display of military vehicles, which included two high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle and a high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle — ambulance, were staged at the center and the children, ranging from ages 1-5, were allowed to crawl inside and experience them.

Iris Guilbe Cotto, supervisor at WCDC, said activities like the static display are great opportunities to familiarize children with the military.

“It’s a good opportunity for us as adults to show children that besides mommy and daddy there is so much that goes with the uniform than what they see every day,” said Cotto.

Children also had the opportunity to try on patrol caps, Army combat helmets and even test military vehicle radios.

For some of the Soldiers in the troop, engaging with the children gave them a preview of how some Soldiers have to balance Family life and being a Soldier.

“Keeping track of all the children was challenging, to say the least,” said Pfc. Job Havens, cavalry scout with Bravo Troop, 3rd Sqdn., 61st Cav. Reg., 2nd IBCT. “It really goes to show the difficulty of being a full-time Soldier and parent.”