FORT HOOD, TX — Children of Fort Hood families are making the most out of spring break ... Army style.
Some of our nation’s littlest heroes got to take part in a time-honored cavalry tradition, here at Fort Hood.
They participated in a spur ride, a tradition that dates back to the founding of the First Cavalry division.
”The riders would show up and they would be spur-less and that would essentially say that they didn’t know their horsemanship and they didn’t know how to wield a saber,” said CPT Briar Hughes. 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood..
Now to earn your spurs, you have to prove that you are proficient in basic soldiering activities over long periods of time and that is exactly what these future heroes did.
”Each child here, working alongside their parents and out lane mentors, will get a hands-on feel for what those warrior tasks and battle drills are,” said CPT Hughes.
Whether it’s obstacle courses, dressing a field wound, or hitting the targets on the Nurf rifle range, these little warriors earned their spurs.
”Because they’re awesome, I am in the Cav,” said Gunnar Hughes, son of CPT Briar Hughes.
For the parents, showing their kids just a little of what they do was priceless.
”Children of the military, I think they sacrifice so much without even signing up for it," said CPT Hughes. "They sign up to sacrifice their time with their parents because their parents are here doing what they do. So, bringing them into it, it think, makes them feel more a part of the team.”
Being part of the team is exactly how CPT Hughes’s son Gunnar feels.
”First Team, six-shooters,” said Gunnar Hughes.
After proving their mettle, each one of the little soldiers got to take home their own set of cavalry spurs.
