FIFTH ARMY ASSOCIATION |
The US Army North (Fifth Army) Association is dedicated to charitable, educational, and support efforts for US Army North (Fifth Army) Soldiers and families. Our main function is to facilitate connections among members, preserve unit history, assist with unit celebrations and reunions, and support military traditions. We also raise funds through donations and grants for critical Soldier and family support programs, including the Caisson Funeral Detachment, the 323rd Army Band, and the Vogel Resiliency Center (VRC); the VRC operates the military's premier program that enables active military, veterans, and military families to better care for themselves through individualized evaluation and hands-on training on financial, nutritional, physical, mental, social, and spiritual resiliency. The Association operates under the guidelines of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and Texas Non-Profit Corporation Act, ensuring all activities align with its nonprofit status. EIN 82-2217411.
Join us for the Army's 250th Birthday Celebration Ball in San Antonio! This is a special year. On June 14th, 1775 the Continental Congress approved the formation of the Army under the leadership of General George Washington to lead the fight for this Nation's independence. That Army accomplished what no one thought was possible against tremendous odds. Since that time, the US Army and its Soldiers have time and again accomplished additional incredible feats. We were the backbone of every major war and conflict faced by this country, and every time we have risen to the challenge. Whether it was in wartime or peacetime, the Soldiers and their families endured hardship and sacrifice to ensure the safety of others and the continued protection of this great Nation. We will gather this summer to celebrate the 250th Birthday of the founding of the US Army. Come join us at the JW Marriott Hill Country on the north side of San Antonio on Saturday evening, 14 June 2025. The guest speaker will be the former Secretary of the Army (2019-2021), the Honorable Ryan McCarthy. We will be enjoying a delicious steak dinner; toast and honor those who came before us; participate in the formal festivities; enjoy the commandry of our fellow Soldiers, veterans, and civilian employees; and then dance the night away. And once again, the Fifth Army Association is taking the lead for this event to ensure it is the first-class celebration Soldiers and their families deserve! Tickets will be sold on this website: individual tickets for current Soldiers and DA Civilians go on sale on Tuesday, 22 April 25 while tickets for veterans, former DA civilians, and community members will be available beginning 3 May 2025. Join the Fifth Army Association Today! Membership Drive Underway
Membership Sign Up Click Here
The Fifth Army Association (FAA) is up and running as an official 501(C)(3) non-profit organization and is bringing in members. We have raised sufficient funds to operate successfully and accomplish our main mission--member support. And we have an initial strategic plan that lays out the way-forward. But now we need your help. Please forward the below link to both current and former members of the Fifth Army or Army North and ask them to join. The cost is minimal, and the benefits are many. Please check out the many articles that give examples of all we have already accomplished in our first year. This website is ready to host members who want to find and communicate with past Fifth Army and Army North military and civilian co-workers by going to the member directory link on the top right side of this homepage. So join today and connect with old friends! Go here to sign up: | Fifth Army Association Receives $75,000 Grant for Caisson Mission The Fifth Army Association recently received a $75,000 grant in support of a number of initiatives on Fort Sam Houston, the largest being the revitalization of the Caisson Mission and Detachment Area. The Diana Davis Spencer Foundation is providing critically needed resources for items that are either not authorized for the military to fund, or too hard to get prioritized funding due to operational needs elsewhere. One of these is the continued building of our herd of the magnificent, large, Percheron horses you can see in the pictures on the News Article page. We have totally replaced our old herd, and now have 14 young and healthy horses. This grant will enable the herd to reach the 16 horses required to properly handle the large number of funerals they perform every year. But the grant is providing funds for much more than the horses. Famous Monuments Donated to the Fifth Army Association If you have been on Post lately, you may have noticed an enormous amount of construction and pasture expansion near Staff Post Road. This is part of a $15m revitalization of the entire Caisson Detachment Area, to include renovating three major buildings, construction of a horse training pavilion, and expansion and enhancing of the pastures from the original 6 acres to 22 acres. As part of the revitalization project, and in honor of the Soldiers and horses who man this Detachment and perform the funerals, Dr Alfonso (Lon) Mellijor has donated the famous Duty First monument created by world renowned artist and sculptor James Muir for placement at the entrance of the Detachment area. Fifth Army Association Assists Medal of Honor Celebration The Fifth Army Association provided critical support to enable 33 Congressional Medal of Honor recipients to spend a week in San Antonio fully engaged with the military, the community, and our schools. They were joined by fifteen widows of recipients and dozens of their family members. It was a week full of fun and gaiety, mixed in with a somber realization of the incredible sacrifices these men, and those who came before them, made for our country. Most importantly, throughout the week these heroes spent their days interacting with thousands of our high school students discussing character development and what it means in life to be a person of character. When the Congressional Medal
of Honor Society choose San Antonio for their annual convention and
celebration, MG Pat Brady (USA, Ret), himself a Congressional Medal of
Honor recipient, and Dan Pedrotti, the Chairman of the Board of the Host
Committee, called the Fifth Army Association and asked for our help.
And help we did! | Featured Member Stay Up to Date Inside the Gate Upcoming Events June 14, 2025 (Saturday night): 250th Army Birthday Celebration Ball at the JW Marriott Hill Country June 3, 2026: Grand Opening of the Renovated Caisson Detachment Area, Fort Sam Houston Commander's Corner Welcome to the Fifth Army Association website. The creation and operation of this 501(C)(3) non-profit Association with a mission of reconnecting former members of the command, assisting current and former members and their families, and maintaining our history was accomplished through the incredible hard work of former Fifth Army Soldiers and leaders. I am grateful for the work they are doing. The Association has been generous enough to grant the current Army North Commander a small section of the website to provide brief updates on the operations, activities and investments across this engaged Army Service Component Command (ASCC). We are currently actively fully engrossed in the our number one mission: Defense of the Homeland. We also stay immersed in Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA) planning, while continuing to foster close training and operational relationships with our Canadian allies and Mexican partners with whom we share this vibrant continent. But while we are at the forefront in all these missions, we also need to take time to remember and honor our past. In that light, this year we celebrate the 250th Birthday of your US Army. This is the starting event for the Nation's larger celebration of its 250th Anniversary next year. On behalf of CSM Gan and I, we hope you are able to join us, in person or through this website, for all the upcoming celebration events, and that you and your family remain safe regardless of where your travels may take you. Thanks to the Fifth Army Association for their continued interest in supporting our teammates – past and present. It’s great to be part of this Fifth Army/Army North team and part of Military City USA. Thank you again for all you do.... Strength of the Nation! - LTG Al Pepin |