All American Week

The voice on the public address system said the tradition dates back to the Crusades.

The tradition the announcer referred to is the military commanding officers' review of the troops. This is a ceremonial inspection of the troops to confirm they are battle ready. The date was May 25, 2006 when I attended this ceremony at Pike Field on Fort Bragg near Fayetteville, North Carolina. This annual event occurs the week before Memorial Day and is known as All American Week by the U. S. Army's elite 82nd Airborne Division.

See the link here for the official news of the event.

Dr. Francis J. Harvey, Secretary of the Army, reviewed the 12,000 paratroopers on the parade field with Major General, David M. Rodriguez. Both men delivered speeches to troops and guests.

There were military equipment displays like the Boeing AH-64 Apache Helicopter I'm standing beside in the bottom picture.

Military skydivers started the event with a parachute landing in front of the viewing stands.

Return here on Tuesday, July 11 for an update.

Have a good day!