Forts Belvoir and Myer unite to honor children

Photo by Marny Malin-Jordan, 2, samples salad as her father, Master Sgt. Darren Gaddy, looks on. Gaddy and his daughter were among the 175 individuals at the the Month of the Military Child spaghetti dinner Friday evening at the Community Club. The dinner also marked the start of Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Two programs came together with one clear message recently at the Fort Belvoir Community Club, as installation commander, Col. Brian Lauritzen, joined Command Sgt. Major Jefferson Varner III of Fort Myer in kicking off Child Abuse Prevention Month, an observance recognized every April by agencies and municipalities across America.

The two also launched the Month of the Military Child, a program that supports children facing many challenges, such as having a parent deployed for long periods of time or having to move around often and being uprooted from school.

According to Lauritzen, both efforts go a long way in ensuring the success of a young boy or girl.

"There's no more precious resource in this world than our children," Lauritzen told the audience. "A major emphasis in the Army is to have a strong family and that's what we strive for each and every day. I'm proud to know there are people at this installation who are committed to doing what's best for children. It helps make for a better community all-around and that really means something."

According to Kelly Boucher, manager of Belvoir's Family Advocacy Program, a number of events will take place this month honoring military children. They include several arts and crafts workshops, open swim dates at the Benyaurd Pool, a carnival on South Post and a USO movie night.

With an ample amount of activities geared towards a military child's lifestyle, the program will also offer parenting classes for those looking to perfect their craft a little more.

"As much as we would like it, parenting doesn't come naturally. For new parents out there, we want to help them make as smooth a transition as possible," Boucher said. "We discuss several topics related to a child's development and mention a few things to look out for in their new role. Since we introduced our Parent University class last year, which included a group of new and older parents, the response has been great. A lot of people have found the information very useful in strengthening their relationships with their kids."

Boucher's counterpart, Karen St. Pierre, is a training coordinator with Fort Myer's Family Advocacy Program. According to her, the evening was a great way in raising awareness through positive efforts. From her perspective, it was also instrumental in getting people to recognize the tools available around them.

"We all have a part in child safety," St. Pierre said. "When it comes to child abuse prevention, there are many support groups that help people identify, report and work with social services in getting treatment for a particular child. In the end, what we want most is to preserve families without compromising the health and welfare of a child."

It was on that note that Varner spoke on the importance of being a child's "crew chief" on their journey through life.

"Child abuse is not only a tear in the fabric of a family, but a tear in the fabric of society," Varner said. "Their gift of life furthers the Army's commitment to the family covenant. We need to hold them up as a reminder of what's good in this world. As much as we guide them, they're also guiding us."
For information on all upcoming Month of the Military Child activities at Fort Belvoir, call Army Community Service at 805-2781.