Sprinkler Fitters Local 417 Minneapolis Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer Trinidad Uribe, III and International Representative Tom McCarthy have been volunteers since 2018.

Uribe and McCarthy have volunteered for multiple Serving Our Troops projects, where they grill steak dinners for soldiers of the Minnesota National Guard who are deployed. 

Since 2004, Serving Our Troops has served more than 110,000 steak dinners to soldiers and their families around the world. 

Video link connects soldiers to families

On a 100-degree Memorial Day weekend in 2019, Brothers Uribe and McCarthy were among 46 other volunteers who grilled steaks for over 600 soldiers of the Minnesota National Guard stationed at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait. 

Serving Our Troops hosted families and friends of the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division at the St. Paul RiverCentre for a steak dinner while an identical meal was served overseas in Kuwait. 

Both events were linked by a live video, allowing National Guard soldiers to see and have dinner with their family members. 

This dinner marked a major milestone for Serving Our Troops as they served their 100,000th steak. Almost 4,500 steaks were grilled in Kuwait. 

First ever statewide virtual cookout 

St. Paul to Djibouti, Serving Our Troops 15th project, looked slightly different due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Brothers Uribe and McCarthy were supposed to grill steaks on June 19th in Djibouti, Africa, but instead grilled steaks for soldiers at Camp Ripley, a military and civilian training facility near Little Falls, MN.

This project became Serving Our Troops’ first ever statewide virtual cookout. It featured the Official Deployment Ceremony of the 2-135 Infantry Battalion. 

Minnesota National Guard soldiers at Camp Ripley enjoyed steaks from the grill while their families grilled steaks at home. There were 2,500 steaks served.

The event was live-streamed and had open video lines for soldiers to talk with their loved ones. 

Brother Uribe, who is an Army veteran, said it was an honor to be asked by Serving Our Troops to volunteer on these projects. 

“We’re very fortunate that I was on the list to be invited because everyone wants to be a part of it. The membership is 100 percent supportive of all the things I’m doing with it. When it’s time to donate for their annual fundraiser, there’s absolutely no hesitation amongst the members that we want to be part of this and continue to be part of this going forward,” he said. 

The steaks are provided by restaurants across Minnesota to bring hometown flavor to the soldiers. 

“With the different collection of people who are involved, it only puts the UA in the spotlight to be a part of this,” Uribe said. 

Select labor leaders from building trades unions across Minnesota, including Local 417, Plumbers and Gasfitters Local 34, the Saint Paul Building and Construction Trades Council and Laborers’ Union Local 563 were asked to volunteer to increase awareness of trades unions as a career avenue for National Guard soldiers as they look to transition out of the military.

Brother Uribe noted that since his involvement with Serving Our Troops, he’s noticed an increase in National Guard candidates applying for membership with Local 417. 

In July of 2021, Brothers Uribe and McCarthy went to Washington, D.C. to meet with Congressional members and U.S. Senators to lobby for Serving Our Troops to ensure that it will continue its mission to support the troops of Minnesota and their families for years to come.