21st Signal Brigade

Throughout the week of July 4, our Daily Point of Light honorees have included individuals and groups who serve our armed forces and their families. Today’s Daily Point of Light, however, is a group of U.S. Army soldiers.

While on-duty, the 21st Signal Brigade “The Edge of the Sword” out of Fort Detrick, Maryland has a mission to provide important communications support for the military around the globe. But when they are off-duty, this group is meeting the needs of the homeless in Frederick County at the Frederick Rescue Mission.

Frederick Rescue Mission, Inc. is a faith-based organization that provides a long term residential recovery program to the chemically addicted, food to the hungry, and clothing and furniture to those in need.

A champion for service in her military community, Fort Detrick’s Volunteer Coordinator Marsha Duncan said of their service…

“The need for the provision of meals to the homeless in Frederick County has grown tremendously over the past few years. Not only does the 21st Signal Brigade use their time to serve meals, they recruit new volunteers, are constantly attempting to look for food donations and will spend time visiting with those that are coming in for a meal.”

Members of the 21st Signal Brigade at Fort Detrick took on the task of providing meals every other Wednesday night at the Frederick Rescue Mission over three years ago. Despite limited off-duty time, they have committed to help those in need in a community that they will only temporarily call home. Soldiers are continuously moving so this type of long term commitment requires the continued support of the command group as well as continual recruitment efforts of soldiers to replace themselves before moving on to their next duty station.

Marsha shares, “Again, this group is special because they are serving in a community that belongs to others. They do not serve for recognition, only the satisfaction that they are making a difference for those less fortunate. These are soldiers, they have already signed up to give their lives for our country if necessary. To go above that and continue to give of themselves in the limited free time they have makes them a very special group of people.”