Print |
E-mail to a friend
NEWS BRIEFS
Fort Campbell soldiers invited to Obama barbecue
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Just home from Afghanistan, Army Spc. Jason Forster and Sgt. Anthony Jacobs are looking forward to a traditional Fourth of July — hanging out with co-workers and the boss, watching some fireworks and eating barbecue.
The boss, also known as President Barack Obama, has invited 25 Fort Campbell, Ky., soldiers and their families to join the commander in chief on Saturday for the White House Salute to the Military.
The first family will be welcoming 1,200 military families for a Fourth of July barbecue on the South Lawn. “Its a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get invited to the White House and eat dinner with him,” Jacobs said.
Forster and Jacobs, both from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, returned in March after a yearlong deployment.
During a phone interview Thursday from Fort Cambell straddling the Kentucky-Tennessee line, the soldiers said they had no idea why they were picked. But they hinted at the fact that both had been recognized by Army for outstanding service during their last deployment.
“I think we just got lucky,” said Forster, 31. “We were in the right place at the right time at some point in our lives and we were given an opportunity and we took it.”
