Belvoir hosts Deployed Family Fun Day

Fort Belvoir welcomed military families from around the National Capital Region Saturday, as the USO of Metropolitan Washington hosted its bi-annual Deployed Family Fun Day at Castle Park.

Crystal Benton, communications manager for the USO, said the event was created several years ago to boost morale and bring military families together. It features entertainment and activities for children, such as arts and crafts, various games, a moon bounce and laser tag. On what turned out to be a beautiful afternoon, kids were also lining up to try their hand at paintball.

"The forecast called for rain, but this has turned out to be an absolutely gorgeous day. We want families to have a good time. They deserve it," Benton said. "An event like this brings everyone together. It's also a chance for families to learn about the different resources available to them."

In addition to being free for active-duty military and their families, Dawn Fincham, program services manager for Belvoir's USO, said vendors were on hand to pass out brochures on a variety of programs and services. Among those attending the event Saturday were Belvoir's Army Community Service and American Red Cross. She said a second Deployed Family Fun Day is scheduled for September at Fort Meade, Md.

"We've had a blast. It's really been a nice outing for us," said Sgt. Mark Wasserman, who attended the event with his wife, Nicole, and son, Scott. "I've come across some people I know and they've said the same thing. It's been a great day for families. It's been fun."

Kids were also treated to music and prizes, among them being an acoustic guitar to the lucky winner of the event's air guitar contest. Drawings were also held for bicycles. Though, most agree that one of the biggest highlights was the live performance of country music singer Justin Moore.

An Arkansas native, Moore is currently on tour with Brad Paisley and was performing later that night at Jiffy Lube Live. He played a handful of songs off his self-titled debut album, including the hit songs "Backwoods" and "Small Town U.S.A."

"It's extremely humbling to be here and take part in this great event. Our military allows people like me to do what I do," Moore told the Belvoir Eagle after his performance. "My wife and I just had our first child in February. It's a girl and I've only been able to spend two weeks with them because of my tour schedule. I'm homesick and can't imagine what it must be like for these military families who are away from their loved ones for much longer than that. We really owe them a lot."