Engineer Marines celebrate St. Patty's with field meet

Marine Corps Installations East
Story by Pfc. Justin Rodriguez

Date: 03.14.2013
Posted: 03.27.2013 15:32
News ID: 104179
Engineer Marines celebrate St. Patty's with field meet

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Marine engineers stood tall while holding four guidons teasing the history and reputation of the 2nd Marine Engineer Battalion representing four companies of Marines awaiting an order to celebrate the day of St. Patrick, their patron saint, during the annual St. Patrick’s Day Field Meet at Ellis Field in Courthouse Bay aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune March 14.

A part of the celebration, various engineer units competed through sixteen events during the field meet.

The Marines continued an engineer tradition after a six-year break due to many of their units deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan when they revitalized their annual field meet last year.

“It’s a great change of pace for the engineers,” said Matthew Fletcher, a contractor for the Marine Corps Engineer School. “The field meet helps them build unit cohesion and gets them out of the everyday workplace environment.”

The event marked more than just a St. Patrick’s Day celebration for the Marines. It was a celebration of their craft and of the bonds forged within the engineer field.

Marines let loose during the field meet and participated in events with their senior Marines.

“I’m walking around and listening to the Marines, and they’re having a great time,” said Sgt. Maj. Veney Cochran, the sergeant major of the Marine Corps Engineer School. “Seeing the senior Marines and junior Marines do things like this together makes me happy.”

The tug-of-war, the water hose relay and the ironman relay events promoted teamwork and small unit leadership.

“Small unit leadership is big in everything they do,” said Cochran. “In order to complete every event you have to have teamwork.”

“You have to break away from the daily activities,” said Cochran, “get everyone together and have a good time. Being able to let your hair down and hang out for a day is important.”