The Department of the Army has announced intentions to conduct antiterrorism training, education and awareness throughout August.

Opera music. I admit straight up that I truly and seriously am not a fan at all. I can appreciate the artistry in almost any type of music. I find value in someone having a craft and developing it to professional level.

Army families deal with unique challenges associated with military life, especially when it comes to relocation. Not only do families have to find a new place to call home, they also have to find new health care and childcare providers, enroll children in new schools and activities and build new networks of friends and support. These challenges are not easy for any Army family, but, for families with special needs, they are magnified.

On Sunday, July 4, our great nation celebrates Independence Day. This day commemorates the founding of our country and a time we celebrate our freedoms we have fought so hard to maintain.

The founders of this great nation, representing the original 13 Colonies of the USA, signed the most important document in our nation’s history 234 years ago.

The article “Media must know when to shut up” in the June 10 edition of the Belvoir Eagle brought up some good points that not only can be applied to the sports environment but to military interaction with the media, as well. I realize the media has a job to do and I fully support Freedom of the Press. Just as coaches and players are grilled at inappropriate times, Soldiers find themselves in the same position when they are in the middle of an operation or event.

Recently, I observed two events … that were relatively small and unrelated. However, both drove home the point of how important “character” is in defining who we are as individuals, and how what we do individually affects others.

I have moved many times in my career, within the U.S. and overseas. I have deployed several times, leaving my wife to pull double duty at home. I know, firsthand, the good, the bad and the ugly of moving from my family’s experience and from the stories shared by other Soldiers, civilians and family members.

For 235 years, the United States Army has truly been the strength of our nation. And today, I believe it is the best it has ever been.

The U.S. Army annually commemorates June 14, 1775, as the date when the Continental Congress adopted “the American Continental army” after reaching a committee consensus in the early days of the American War of Independence.