2023 Biennial Weekend AAR
May 19, 2023
Good afternoon:
The Biennial Weekend kicked off Friday evening April 28th at the Hyatt Chesapeake Bay in Cambridge, Maryland with a cocktail reception and a drawing for a variety of door prizes. Dick Farwell displayed a big grin after his number was drawn for a Glock pistol.
But let’s back up some and say that a lot of thought, effort and teamwork went into the planning of our First Biennial Weekend, all toward the goal of providing our members and guests a weekend worth traveling to.
Part of the plan was to provide information centered on who we are, where we came from and where we are headed (plus some entertainment along the way). But don’t take our word for it. Please review the following half dozen e-mail excerpts we received from members who attended the BW.
“Just wanted to drop you a short note to thank you all for your efforts and work that went into a most enjoyable and entertaining SOA event. The planning and execution resulted in a memorable weekend for all attending that I wish could have lasted even longer! It was fantastic to see old colleagues and friends and to reminisce about old times while creating new memories from the event. My wife was also impressed and totally enjoyed the weekend.”
“Thank you so much for an unforgettable event!!! Perfect accommodations, golf, meals, conversations, reminiscences. Please thank all those who did the hard work from the inception to this first Biennial SOA event.”
“Many thanks to ALL the work that particularly you fellows have put into getting our organization off the ground and congratulations on a very successful first of many big events.”
“Please pass along my sincere thanks for a job well done. You all more than met anyone’s expectations. We all understand how demanding and time intensive planning and logistics for such an event is. The RTC day was exceptional. I only wish I had brought my wife or a few of my buddies who think the Secret Service is special. I had a truly wonderful time seeing all our comrades. Thanks much!”
“It was great to reunite with my ERT brothers this weekend. Even though time passed so quickly, the genuine bond we had as team members two decades ago was still present. Despite going through our hurdles over the years, we had a chance to laugh and reminisce about our brotherhood for a day and a night.”
“Thanks for all your hard work bringing us former operators back together under one roof for a walk down memory lane. There were lots of grins Saturday evening thanks to the BOD and all those who worked to make the Biennial gathering happen.”
The BOD humbly, but proudly accepts these accolades. However, we would be very remiss if we didn’t acknowledge the efforts by others who made the BW possible and so successful. The Biennial Committee consisted of Stan Nicklyn, Rich Clark and John Lago. Their advance trips to the Hyatt and RTC were evident in how smoothly our itineraries progressed.
A special shout out goes to Rowley Training Center SAIC Chris Leone (CAT #303) and his extremely capable staff for their selfless contribution of time and expertise during our Saturday visit. Ask anyone who was on the interactive tour, and you will receive their version of the W&E factors…that’s “Wow and Entertainment”. For some it was the up-close view of the crack crack and boom boom of a counter assault; to controlled K-9 aggression scenarios; to protectee extraction at the shoot house; to two and a half minutes of being passengers during a fast-paced PODC pursuit; to a presentation at the weapons library and being able to shoot many of the Service’s issued firearms at the outdoor rifle and pistol ranges.
The Saturday evening banquet at the Hyatt Chesapeake Ballroom began with an open bar and silent auctions and continued with SOA Vice-President John Bush providing the invocation and recognition of Secret Service operators who have passed. SOA President Dale Holmes was the emcee for the evening and presented a history of the SOA.
Dale introduced our keynote speaker, Bill Albracht (CAT #008), who gave a very informative presentation centering around his combat experiences during the Viet Nam War as a 21-year-old Green Beret Captain. Specifically, in the Autumn of 1969 when in command of a remote hilltop firebase that came under attack and siege by an NVA force that was more than 30 times superior in numbers. This five-day battle provided the foundation for Bill’s bestselling book, Abandoned in Hell: The Fight for Vietnam's Firebase Kate. Thank you “Hawk” for being our first SOA keynote!
With respect,
The BOD
