http://armystrongstories.com Army Strong Stories is an official U.S. Army blog portal created to share personal Soldier stories. Its purpose is to promote discussion surrounding life in the military, communicate the impact of day-to-day military life and follow the paths of Soldiers enlisted in different areas of the U.S. Army as they experience new opportunities. Fri, 25 May 2012 04:05:59 GMT Fri, 25 May 2012 04:05:59 GMT http://armystrongstories.com/blogger/mark-thompson/essence-update/ By: <a href='http://armystrongstories.com/blogger/mark-thompson/'>Mark Thompson</a><br /> The second day of the Army-sponsored ESSENCE events kicked off with an Army VIP Luncheon. Those in the attendance were General William &#8220;Kip&#8221; Ward (Commander, Africa Command), the Honorable Ms. Michele Jones and MG Bartell (US Cadet Command). Notable celebrities and leaders in attendance included Marc Morial, President of the National Urban League, Omarosa of The Apprentice fame and the Reverend Al Sharpton. After I departed the VIP luncheon, I spotted K Ci and Jo Jo, along with...<a href="http://armystrongstories.com/blogger/mark-thompson/essence-update/">read more</a> Sun, 04 Jul 2010 06:20:00 GMT Mark Thompson http://armystrongstories.com/blogger/mark-thompson/essence-update/ http://armystrongstories.com/blogger/mark-thompson/my-trip-to-the-2010-essence-music-festival/ By: <a href='http://armystrongstories.com/blogger/mark-thompson/'>Mark Thompson</a><br /> The first day of my trip to the 2010 Essence Music Festival was filled with outstanding events. The Army Strong Interactive Stage is by far the most eye-catching display in the exhibit hall, filled with many activities, including a push-up and pull-up completion, health screenings by the AMEDD team, awesome culinary dishes by SFC Turner, a.k.a. &#8220;the Grill Sergeant,&#8221; the Army Helicopter Simulator/Amusement Ride, and information on the Army and Army Reserve&#39;s career and...<a href="http://armystrongstories.com/blogger/mark-thompson/my-trip-to-the-2010-essence-music-festival/">read more</a> Sun, 04 Jul 2010 05:23:00 GMT Mark Thompson http://armystrongstories.com/blogger/mark-thompson/my-trip-to-the-2010-essence-music-festival/