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    Commando Olympics

    Commando Olympics

    Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Mark Moore | A soldier from the "Allons," water polo team, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain...... read more read more

    FORT DRUM, NY, UNITED STATES

    11.13.2013

    Courtesy Story

    10th Mountain Division

    FORT DRUM, N.Y. - Recently, the "Commando" Brigade began to reintegrate their divided soldiers.

    To assist with the reintegration process, soldiers assigned to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, competed in the "Commando Olympics" on Fort Drum, Nov. 13.

    The Olympics gave Soldiers a chance to participate in various sporting events, reconnect with old friends, make new friends and build esprit de corps.

    "Having this event as soon as we came back together has helped alleviate some of the tension," said native of Maya West, Puerto Rico, Staff Sgt. Luis Santiago of B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment. "Now we are doing something together, now we can talk about this experience together. There is no more rear detachment or deployed group separating us."

    Santiago, also team captain for the "Allons" water polo team, expressed the need for diversity, strong team work and a willingness to learn from others.

    Many of his team mates share the same sentiments.

    "I think we have bonded as a unit and as a team," said Pvt. Collin Tincher, native of Oak Park, Ill. "Water polo is similar to our jobs as artillerymen, you have to communicate and work as a team to be successful."

    Strong teams are essential to a smooth transition.

    "Our reintegration was a smooth transition, it made sense," said Sgt. James Voss, native of Mount Airy, N.C. "I feel the way our unit handled reintegration worked well."

    The "Commando Olympics" may have ended. However, the reintegration process is very much a long term event.

    "We are still going to keep growing, we still have more things to learn from each other," said Santiago. "We still need to go to the field and put rounds down range, the deployed Soldiers will want to share what they learned down range and we will want to share what we have learned in garrison. I won't predict everything is going to be good, but doing this now is a good step in the right direction."

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 11.13.2013
    Date Posted: 11.15.2013 14:47
    Story ID: 116827
    Location: FORT DRUM, NY, US
    Hometown: OAK PARK, IL, US

    Web Views: 139
    Downloads: 1

    PUBLIC DOMAIN