Photo By Sgt. Jeff Drew | Headquarters Battalion Marines paddle toward the finish line during the first event of...... read more read more
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CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Kayaks sliced through the cool waters at the Gottschalk Marina as Marines and sailors, caught up in each other’s wake, clashed paddles in hope of winning the first event of the 2nd Marine Division Headquarters Battalion Commander’s Cup.
The eight-event series kicked off with a splash as Marines with the battalion relay raced from buoy to buoy and back to the docks to tag other service members in their company.
“A Marine in my shop asked me if I wanted to get involved and I said, ‘Sure,’” mentioned Los Angeles native Cpl. Ricardo Pardo, a 23-year-old clerk with the battalion. “There was great camaraderie throughout the companies, it was a lot of fun and you get to know a lot of other people in the battalion.”
The event was a great opportunity for the Marines and sailors of the battalion to come together and meet one another, and, for some, experience something new.
“It was my first time kayaking,” said Long Island, N. Y., native Lance Cpl. Stanley Isidore, a mail clerk with the battalion. “It was fun, but hard. It was all upper body strength and you have to learn how to navigate, which was tough. Everyone had fun, the barbecue was on point and the competition was there – it was just a big family event.”
Isidore, previously a motor transportation operator with 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, recently joined Headquarters Battalion. He mentioned his favorite part of the day was seeing all of the new faces and meeting everyone. He plans on continuing with the events in the tournament.
“I’m going to play dodge ball coming up,” said Isidore. “I’m also signed up to be in the strongman event. So yeah, I can’t wait.”
Suzanne McCurry the battalion’s family readiness officer mentioned the importance of the events and why it was so important for Marines and their families.
“Headquarters Battalion is unlike any other battalion,” said McCurry. “The Commander’s Cup is trying to build unit cohesion, to bring the Marines together as a unit. It’s important for not only the Marines to know each other, but also for the families to get together.”
The tournament will continue for the next few months with the next event being a dodge ball competition, followed by basketball, golf, ultimate Frisbee, and flag football. The tournament is scheduled to culminate Sept. 28th in a beach volleyball and tug-of-war event which will decide the winner.
| Date Taken: | 06.28.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 06.28.2012 08:31 |
| Story ID: | 90752 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 80 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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