On Aug. 29, the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Lacey Subchapter hosted soldiers and families from the 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) to a field day at the Regional Athletic Complex in Lacey. The subchapter provided food and family activities along with planned sporting events for the soldiers.

Tina Torfin, president, AUSA Lacey Subchapter, said, "This is the third year we have hosted the family field day for the "Ghost" brigade. This event is entirely free to the soldiers and their families. The entire Lacey community and the city of Lacey rallied together to put this event on. We could not have held the event without all the support. Walmart donated all the food and drinks for the event; 7,000 hotdogs and buns, all the drinks and paper products. Volunteers from the USO and St. Martin's University cooked all the food. The staff from the city of Lacey helped to host the event."

The event included a full day of activities. Competitions included: a water balloon toss, Tug of War, relay races, beach ball blaster and a three-legged race. Sporting events were flag football, softball, kickball and basketball. There were plenty of inflatables for the kids. The hamster balls were very popular with the adults. A hotdog lunch was served. Attendees could also view over 50 booths from sponsors, local vendors, family readiness groups, colleges and universities and various nonprofit agencies.

The single soldiers enjoyed the opportunity to get off post and have a day off work. PV2 Damon Powell is new to the unit and JBLM. "This is my first time out in the local community. They really support us," he said.

PV2 Juan Frontaun said, "It gives us the chance to bond with the soldiers in our company. The community has been very welcoming. It is relaxing to have a day off during the week." Both soldiers were coming off a stressful week and agreed the field day was a great way to relieve stress and unwind.

AUSA was founded in 1950 and is a nonprofit organization which supports the U.S. Army. It is open to all Army ranks and components, retirees, veterans, civilians and family members. It is also open to community businesses and defense industry companies. There are 120 chapters worldwide comprised of dedicated volunteers who work to provide recreational and educational opportunities to soldiers and their families. AUSA advocates for the United States Army. It is a professional association for soldiers and AUSA works to keep its members up to date on current issues that affect soldiers and families. The Lacey subchapter is part of the Captain Meriwether Lewis Chapter, which serves the local area surrounding JBLM. For information, go to ausatacoma.com