Stryker Brigade News

“We’ve tried for years to get the Army included in the Chicago Auto Show, but it is normally reserved for car manufacturers,” he continued. “With a lot of hard work and cooperation from the Army and the great folks at the auto show, we finally got an Army display.”

The show is open to the public Feb. 11 - 20, and it will be open to media only on Feb. 9 and 10. It is being held at McCormick Place in Chicago.

Approximately 1.4 million people are expected to attend, and the Stryker seems poised to be one of the show’s highlights.

“People are really interested in the Stryker; we’ve been running a mini-show since it came through the door,” said Brian Palmer of General Dynamics. Palmer is an instructor and trainer for the Army on Strykers, and he accompanied the vehicle to Chicago as a subject-matter expert.

“All the construction workers preparing for the show have stopped by, and they all have 140 questions – especially when they find out that this vehicle is serving our nation in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said.

“The Army worked closely with civilians at the auto show, and bringing the display to fruition was a difficult task. This is an indication of public patriotism, that private citizens bent over backward to make this happen as a tribute to Soldiers,” said Master Sgt. Gerrold Johnson of U.S. Army Public Affairs – Midwest.

Q101, “Chicago’s Alternative” FM radio station, will have a display adjacent to the Army’s. A radio personality will be on site every day, and there will be advertisements for the Army’s display for two weeks on Q101, according to Kelo.

The Chicago Recruiting Battalion’s Multiple Exhibit Vehicle will also be on display, and recruiters will make personalized dog tags.

“In planning the Army exhibit, we tried to make it both one of the highlights of the show and a great opportunity for Army Recruiting – it’s a rare opportunity for recruiters to be able to talk with tens of thousands of people at one location,” Kelo said.

This Stryker will head to Fort Lewis, Wash., after the Chicago Auto Show Feb. 22, where it has already been promised to a unit. In the meantime, however, Kelo expects it to be “one of the highlights of the show.”