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Bravo keeps top trophy after Maintainer Cup competition The 16th Ordnance Battalion conducted its second annual Maintainer Cup competition on Sept. 21 and, once again, Bravo Company earned the top trophy. From the start, the day was full of excitement. A sunny and bright Virginia morning greeted nearly 2,000 advanced individual training Soldiers and permanent party cadre as they stood in formation on Whittington Field awaiting the start of the games. During opening remarks, Lt. Col. Steven N. Carozza and Command Sgt. Maj. Cheryl N.M. Greene, the battalion commander and CSM respectively, amped up the competitive spirit by reminding the assembly that winning the Maintainer Cup means an entire year of bragging rights. They also shared their expectations for “intense competition” throughout the day and encouraged every Soldier to actively participate in the spirit of friendly competition. Six companies – Alpha Assassins,
Bravo Bull Dogs, Charlie Rock, Delta Desperados, Echo Enforcers and Foxtrot Phantoms – squared off for the championship trophy. The events were conducted simultaneously throughout the Ordnance Campus. The assortment of sports included volleyball, flag football, kickball, 5-on-5 basketball and track – each one structured as a six-team, single elimination tournament providing opportunities for Soldiers in every company to compete. The competition setup also ensured winning would be a group effort as every company fielded a team for each event and the results of the combined teams’ performance would determine the championship winners. In the flag football competition, Team Bravo seemed unstoppable with their cohesive offense and aggressive defense, according to Maj. Dennis Calloway, the battalion’s executive officer. “I walked the sidelines and could tell every one of them was in it to win it,” he said.
Lt. Col. Steven Carozza, 16th Ordnance Battalion commander, Capt. Mark Degan, commander, Bravo Company, 16th Ord. Bn., , 1st Sgt. Marie Legros, Bravo Company first sergeant, and Command Sgt. Maj. Cheryl Greene, battalion CSM, and the company and battalion guidon bearers pose with the 16th Ordnance Battalion Maintainers Cup.
“Every score was clearly a team accomplishment. That sort of attitude was really the hallmark of the day.” Team Echo placed second in flag football, and Team Foxtrot placed third. The track competition provided an opportunity for Soldiers to showcase their individual talents and athleticism. Calloway said the speed and determination the Soldiers presented is reminiscent of the Penn Relays, an annual track and field competition and intense battle of rivals hosted by the University of Pennsylvania. Even though the individual competition was fierce, Foxtrot Company dominated the track taking first place in the team standings, followed by Delta Company’s second-place and Bravo Company’s third-place finish. The 5-on-5 basketball competition was far more spirited than anticipated; “all the teams were clearly playing for more than just a title, they were playing for personal and team pride,” Calloway said. With standing room only crowds, the final basketball game between Alpha and Bravo companies spun into a fierce battle for the championship title. The excitement grew as the teams made runs at each other, and the lead repeatedly changed hands. In the end, Bravo Company walked away with another firstplace title. “Winning was in these Soldier’s hearts,” said 1st Sgt. Marie Legros, the company’s lead NCO. “They put in a lot of hard work to make it happen. It was that and Bravo’s overall stick-to-initiative-and-determination plan that put us in the winner’s circle at the end of the day.” Action on the volleyball court oftentimes bore a close resemblance to a world championship match with several Soldiers stand-
Advanced individual training Soldiers from Alpha Company, 832nd Ordnance Battalion, 16th Ord. Brigade, work on a landscaping project at a Habitat for Humanity house in Petersburg Sept. 7. Fourteen “GatorNation” Soldiers participated in the community outreach project that benefitted elderly and low-income individuals.
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INYOURFACE Contributed Photos
am dunk during a game at the 16th A Soldier from Echo Company, 16th Ordnance Battalion, makes a sla Ord. Bn.’s second annual Maintainer Cup competition Sept. 21.
ing 6-foot-5-inches or greater and strong net play that clearly intimidated any “height-challenged” opponents. Delta Company Soldiers, however, displayed an unusual strategy of speed versus size. Their effective ball control and quick shots over the net paid big dividends, and they sailed to the end of the championship match with ease, shocking the rest of the competition. The other top finishers included Team Bravo, coming in second place, closely followed by Team Foxtrot in third. The kickball tournament, won by Delta Company, required more strategic planning than originally thought, according to 1st Sgt. Sara George, the “Desperado’s” lead
sergeant. “I told the team to stay focused and concentrate on the kickss that would get them to a base,” shee said. “The other teams were shooting for the moon. So, we kept iit simple and it paid off with a firstplace finish.” Bravo Company placed secondd and Foxtrot Company placed thirdd in the final event of the Maintainer Cup competition. Immediately following the fio nal game, the Soldiers of Bravo Company sprinted to the scorer’ss table to record their second-placee points and solidify their posin. tion as the returning 16th OD Bn Maintainer Cup champions for 2013. “All of the Soldiers competedd
at the highest level; but in the end, there can only be one champion,” said Calloway. “Nobody out there, though, has any reason to be disappointed with their performance. Every competitor showed a lot of spirit and determination. That’s what it’s really all about … we fight as a team and we win as a team.” The trophy for the 16th Ordnance event reflects the motto of the battalion, “Train to Maintain.” Ordnance Soldiers at Fort Lee also compete in a brigade-level competition each spring. The 59th OD Brigade is the parent headquarters for the 16th battalion.
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The 16th Ordnance Battalion Women’s Flag Football team celebrates after winning the post championship Sept. 24. They beat the 244th Quartermaster Battalion 13-6 in the final game.
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Sgt. Jeffrey Harper dives for the frisbee during an intense recreational activity that was part of the 392nd Army Band Organization Day Sept. 23 at White Bank Park, Colonial Heights.