OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea - Soldiers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 35th ADA Brigade hosted a lively and festive Hispanic heritage observance Sept. 21 in Daegu, Republic of Korea in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month Sept. 15 -- Oct. 15.

Sgt. Brenda Collins, 2-1 ADA Battalion, who was in charge of the event, calls the Dominican Republic home, and felt responsible for hosting a memorable celebration where all Hispanic countries were well represented.

"We had live music, and showed a video of the impact Hispanic-Americans have made on society and in the U.S. Army," said Collins.

Upon completion of the formal portion of the observance, Soldiers explored the Hispanic culture through their taste buds.

"There were dishes from more than half of the 21 Hispanic countries prepared and donated by family readiness groups for everyone to try."

With more than three times the anticipated amount of people in attendance, the observance clearly achieved its objective of sharing the Hispanic culture with the community. Jade van Vuuren Farruca and Sonja Yang contributed to the ambiance, as the duo entertained the crowd with their Latin lounge-style music.

"Sgt. Collins, the Soldiers of 2-1 ADA Battalion, the FRGs, and all of area IV did an amazing job today," said Sgt. 1st Class Marshall Griffin, 35th ADA Brigade equal opportunity leader. "It was a well-planned and executed observance, and it was a lot of fun for everyone."

A strength of the U.S. Army is the diversity within its ranks, which is comprised of more than 64,000 Hispanic-Americans.