More than 150 Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (SNCO) and their guests,along with this year’s Fiesta Military Ambassadors and Community Leaders from throughout the Alamo Region, gathered at the Arcadian at Sunset Station Tuesday night to kick off Fiesta at the Chamber’s Sixth Annual Fiesta SNCO Reception. The event, sponsored by USAA and IOMAXIS-San Antonio, was the perfect way to honor our community’s finest NCO’s and the important role they play in serving our nation, ensuring the success of their mission, and supporting the quality of life for all of our service men and women and their families.
“Direct leadership and support for the enlisted force is crucial to boots on the ground, ships at sea, planes in the air, and Marines on the beach,” said Richard Perez, Chamber President & CEO, as he welcomed the group.
Gerardo “Tap” Tapia, Retired Chief Master Sergeant and Command Chief for Air Education and Training Command (AETC) — now Military Affairs Representative for USAA — remarked that the power of the community in San Antonio is unique and not to be taken for granted. He provided a brief history on how Fiesta began and encouraged the service members in attendance to dive in and take advantage of the goodwill that our city provides to men and women in uniform.
Chief Operating Officer for IOMAXIS and retired Navy Vice Admiral Mike LeFever applauded the SNCO’s for their service, saying that through his many years in uniform, he knew the backbone of every organization at every level of the military was the Senior Enlisted Leader, and he relayed IOMAXIS’s support for their mission and their service to our country.
Brannon Knox, Senior Enlisted Advisory Committee Chair (SEAC), Retired Navy Surface Force Master Chief and Military Liaison at Veterans United Home Loans, reminded the guests of the mission of our SEAC and encouraged them all to participate to assist in bridging the gap across the installation borders and facilitate positive community relations.
Chief Master Sergeant Chris Lantagne, Command Chief Master Sergeant of the 502d and Joint Base San Antonio, spoke on behalf of Joint Base San Antonio, thanking all of the sponsors and guests that provide these great opportunities for service members in the region.
“Events like this remind us how lucky we are to be in Military City USA, and how honored we should all be to serve not only our nation, but this great community,” Lantagne said. “All branches of service live and work in this fantastic city, and we are all grateful for the support and encouragement we receive from its citizens and leaders.”
In addition to the delicious food, cold beverages, and live music, the Active Duty, Guard and Reserve in uniform received an opportunity to win one of 30 tickets provided by Decypher for the annual historic Battle of the Flowers Parade next Friday, as well as two one-night stays at the Marriott San Antonio Northwest Hotel.
A similar event is held annually during our Celebrate America’s Military celebration every November. For more information on how to support and participate in that event or for information about the Senior Enlisted Advisory Committee and its role in the Chamber’s Military Affairs initiatives, email Lori Stinson, Vice President of Military Affairs and Leadership Development, at lstinson@sachamber.org.
