Thousands engaged by U.S. Army at Bowling Green’s 34th Annual Harvest Fest.

Bowling Green Va. - A town of roughly 1,200 people with only two traffic lights is hardly the place where you would expect thousands of people to flock for an autumn festival, but flock they do! Bowling Green, Virginia's Harvest Fest is the third largest fall festival in the commonwealth and each year between 15-20,000 festival goers descend upon the quaint town for live music, deep-fried food, crafts, local beers, children's entertainment, and much more. Fort Walker has recently established a very large presence with Harvest Fest, and this year, our participation was the largest yet.

Historically, Fort Walker's participation has consisted of a single information table about unexploded ordnance (UXO); what to do if you encounter it, and how to report it. The area of Bowling Green has been subject to battlefields since the Revolutionary War, and as such, ordnance may still exist in residential areas. A representative from Range Control, Safety, or both, would attend a table and share information about UXO to the crowds.

In 2023 the Fort Walker staff saw an opportunity to expand the presence and better engage with the community. Working with on-installation partners and command directorates, Fort Walker was able to establish an impressive static display of emergency response vehicles, DFMWR capabilities, UXO and safety information and the star of the show, Soldiers from the McMahon EOD school and a hulking Panther Mine-Resistant-Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicle.

2023 was very successful, but the staff of Fort Walker decided to build on that success and extend their footprint and increase participation in 2024. One of Fort Walker's most frequent training units, 352nd CACOM BDE has always expressed interest interaction in public-facing events. That command graciously supported the 2024 efforts with elements from the 312th Psychological Operations Company; they came with two Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) MRAPs and six Soldiers to engage the community on the unique and not-widely-known mission of civil affairs.

Local Army recruiters from Richmond Recruiting Battalion participated alongside our displays. Two SSGs were very engaged with the community and had smiles and handshakes for all the passers-by. Of course, they had plenty of information on how to join the Army, but per them, they said they were just happy to represent the uniform in public.

In addition to the Civil Affairs Soldiers, the EOD personnel increased their presence as well, with more personnel, bomb-diffusing robots, replica ordnance, their blast suits, drones, and another MRAP, this time an MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV). Children flocked to the EOD site to put their hands on all the various training aides, and to climb inside the M-ATV, and up into the turret, high above the crowds below.

Fort Walker's Environmental and Natural Resources Division participated with a touch-friendly exhibit of installation wildlife. Pelts of animals who call Fort Walker home were on display for curious festival attendees to feel, as well as skull replicas of other installation animals. Insects preserved in plexiglass cubes for onlookers to inspect were quite interesting to some, quite off-putting to others. Information on installation hunting and fishing, which is open to the public, was available here, and information about energy efficiency programs as well. This station was especially popular for parents to take children for an educational experience.

The Department of Emergency Services increased their participation, bringing more vehicles, including their behemoth Oshkosh p19 foam truck, which many people had never-before seen. The foam truck was a very popular attraction, but it didn't hurt that it was next to a petting zoo. Who can resist an alpaca and a pot-bellied pig?

"My first Harvest Fest here in Bowling Green, and I was truly impressed by the size and scope of the community engagement with the greater Fort Walker team. Any opportunity for the local community to know their Army Garrison is appreciated, and the positive reception we received was overwhelming." Said Fort Walker Garrison Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Bauer.

By the festival's end, thousands of people had learned about Fort Walker, had climbed on or through MRAPs, met Soldiers, and thanked them for their service. Smiles were in abundance as the Army made favorable impressions on people young and old, from all over the community and the state.

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