Sergeants Major Association takes care of Soldiers, families

Command Sgt. Maj. Olga Martinez
415th Base Support Battalion


***image1***Right after I took over as the 415th Base Support Battalion command sergeant major, I was bombarded with a lot of meetings and community events. Everywhere I went, there was always someone that knew and talked about the noteworthy actions that the Sergeants Major Association had done for the Soldiers, their family members and civilians in the community.
I was impressed by the comments made, but my first priority was to become proficient in my new job. However, I couldn’t stop thinking what made this association so very special.
A month went by and the Army Community Services director, the Chaplain, the marketing officer, and I started the planning of the 415th BSB Holiday Helpings Hands program. To say the least, I was informed that the association plays a major role the day the Thanksgiving baskets are put together and distributed to Army families at the Vogelweh Commissary.
I have been in the military for 20 years, and this is the first military installation that I have been assigned to where the command sergeants major and sergeants major come together as one to take care of Soldiers.
Every time the association is called upon to serve as a private organization, they have come through for the community.
A week prior to Christmas, an agency from the United States donated a large sum of money to the outpatients who are temporarily housed at Kleber Kaserne, Bldg. 3210, while they are waiting to receive medical treatment at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.
The association accepted the money on behalf of Capt. Ralph Stanton Jr., Medical Transition Company commander, LRMC Deployed Warrior Medical Management Center, and coordinated the purchase of a large screen TV, video games, planned a Christmas Eve dinner, bought presents for each patient and provided entertainment with a local disc jockey at the Kleber Dining Facility classrooms.
On behalf of the association, I would like to make an open invitation to all the command sergeants major, sergeants major, command chief master sergeants and master chiefs within the community to join us every second Tuesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at the Kaiserslautern Community Activity Center, Daenner Kaserne, for lunch followed by our monthly meeting. This is a great opportunity to meet and network with the community sergeants major.
Since the association was activated in 1999, they have selflessly contributed their time on-and-off-duty to assist the community events that have made a great impact on the host nation relations.
The association does many things behind the scenes for the community; however, making a difference in the community is its top priority.