I3C2 Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Each year Hispanic Heritage month is observed from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 in honor of the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua (Sept. 15), Mexico (Sept. 16) and Chile (Sept. 18). During this time, the U.S. celebrates the contributions, histories and cultures of the Hispanic and Latino Americans. On Oct. 11, Installation Information Communication and Capabilities (I3C2), combined with their subordinate programs, Power Projection Enablers (P2E), Information Installation Infrastructure Modernization Program (I3MP), Defensive Cyber Operations (DCO) and Allied Information Technology (AIT), hosted a Hispanic Heritage Celebration in honor of all the Hispanic Americans that support the mission.

With a theme of “Contributions to the U.S. Armed Forces,” the event paid tribute to the Army’s 65th Infantry Regiment based in Puerto Rico, also known as the Borinqueneers. Similar to the Tuskegee Airman and Montford Point Marines, the Borinqueneers were a segregated unit for Soldiers of Hispanic descent. The Borinqueneers fought in World Wars I and II and played a significant role in the Korean War. The 65th Infantry Regiment was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal in 2016 and, one of the driving forces of the Borinqueneers’ congressional recognition efforts, Mr. Samuel Rodriguez, attended I3C2’s event as a guest speaker.

After the Borinqueneers presentation, I3MP’s MAJ Alex Mora performed the Cumbia, a traditional Colombian dance. Following the lively presentations, attendees enjoyed a walking tour of exhibits featuring the cultures of Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Panama and Puerto Rico. Each exhibit was created and manned by volunteers from I3C2 and included food and interesting facts about the contributions of those countries to the U.S. armed forces. Mr. Edgardo Edwards, acquisition lead, P2E, was one of the representatives for Panama, along with I3MP’s Mr. Richard Slattery. Together, they introduced a variety of cultural aspects to visitors. “It was great being an ambassador for Panama because it gave me an opportunity to provide insight into my culture,” said Mr. Edwards. “I was able to share some Panamanian history and serve some authentic cuisine.” Other ambassadors included Ms. Ana Marron for Cuba, Ms. Aleida Aponte for Colombia, Mr. Fernando Marquez and Ms. Patricia Van Vloten for Mexico, and Mr. Victor Santiago and Mr. Richard Rivera for Puerto Rico.

“I am truly thankful that I had the opportunity to participate in the Hispanic Heritage Celebration within this team and be part of the celebration of our diversity and strength,” said COL Chad Harris, project manager, I3C2. “I saw a team of professionals proudly share their culture and heritage with their fellow teammates [and] fellow professionals who took a genuine interest in the culture of their teammates. This was truly a great event!”