99th commander bestows Army birthday gift

Published June 18, 2015
By Staff Sgt. Shawn Morris
99th Regional Support Command

PHILADELPHIA -- Hundreds gathered at Independence Hall here June 14 to celebrate Flag Day and the Army's 240th birthday during the 2015 Stripes and Stars Festival.

Maj. Gen. Margaret W. Boor, Army Reserve's 99th Regional Support Command commander, also administered the Oath of Enlistment to dozens of Army recruits during the event.

"What a wonderful day to serve in our Army," Boor said before swearing in 36 new Soldiers. Boor's command is headquartered at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.

These recruits represent the latest volunteers in a force that dates back to June 1775, more than a year before the nation's founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence.

"In 240 years, someone will stand in front of an Army birthday ceremony like this one and talk about how you trained and advised the Iraqi army, how you supported international partners in containing the spread of Ebola in West Africa, and how you demonstrated your devotion by continuing to answer the call to duty," said U.S. Army's Training and Doctrine Command's Command Sgt. Maj. David S. Davenport, the event's keynote speaker.

"Someone will talk about how you all represented the very best that America had to offer in 2015," he added.

The festival was hosted by the William Penn Chapter of the Association of the U.S. Army and the Philadelphia Flag Day Association.

Other events throughout the day included flag raisings at the National Constitution Center and Betsy Ross House, a parade from the NCC to Independence Hall, a sky-diving demonstration, vintage military equipment displays, a naturalization ceremony at Betsy Ross House and a flag-folding ceremony on Independence Mall.