The third time is always a charm.

The Eastside Subchapter of the Captain Meriwether Lewis Chapter (CMLC) of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) hosted its Annual Salute to the Troops, Eastside's Military Family Appreciation Day June 24 in Spanaway.

The AUSA is a private, nonprofit organization that acts primarily as an advocacy group for the Army.

Founded in 1950, the AUSA has progressed to having chapters worldwide.  Membership is open to everyone.

As to the Eastside Subchapter of the AUSA, it formed in March 2013 and invited the Parkland, Spanaway, Frederickson, Graham and Roy areas to join.

One of the organization's first actions was to welcome home the 555th Engineers from a 2013 deployment.

That support has only grown prominently.

To show its continued support for and appreciation of what soldiers and their family members confront daily, the Eastside group hosted its biggest and best event last Friday.

The Sprinker Recreation Center was ground-zero for a day of fun and for appreciation of the 555th Engineering Brigade's soldiers and families.

"The Eastside Subchapter does such a great job of supporting the Triple Nickel," Amy Tiemeyer, president of the CMLC, wrote in an email.

"I am always very, very happy with the results, and I am thankful they have such a great group of volunteers."

Their work paid off.

With the entire Sprinker Recreation Center at their disposal, soldiers and family members ice skated, played softball, jumped in bouncy houses, built bird houses, had pictures taken with friends and families, played pool and table tennis, and played a version of soccer with a large and unstable ball.

A hot dog feed and plenty of drink kept hunger and thirst away.

"It was a day of fun," Greg Hollmann, the Eastside Subchapter's president, wrote in an email.

"We have had an excess of fifteen hundred people the last two years, and this year we exceeded two thousand.  It was a great deal of fun, and the community support was wonderful."

At the end of the day's event there was a tug-of-war waged.  The conflict ended in a tie, and it was determined that the 555th's command teams would face off.

"I loved that," continued Tiemeyer, "because I think it is very important to lead by example."

For more information about the Eastside Subchapter, contact Hollmann at ghollmann0@gmail.com.