1103rd CSSB plays mini golf on newly renovated course

Photo By Staff Sgt. Andrea Merritt | Left to right: 1st Sgt. Harold Davis, Capt. Steve Mattingly, 2nd Lt. Tamara Brewer, and Staff Sgt. Jared Deatley. Brewer, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1103rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, presents an award to the winners of the battalion's miniature golf challenge. Mattingly and Deatley played and the first sergeant kept score. The team represented their company (Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery) in the challenge.  

TAJI, IRAQ

11.12.2007

Story by Sgt. Andrea Merritt 

316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

Pfc. Andrea Merritt
1st Sustainment Brigade, Public Affairs Office


CAMP TAJI, Iraq – The leaders and Soldiers of the 1103rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion had their game faces on as they competed against each other during the battalion's first miniature golf challenge, Nov. 4.

Only four weeks ago, the golf course was just an empty space with 18 holes, but after Soldiers from each of the battalion's staff sections and subordinate companies added their designs, the course was brought to life.

"It's a lot better than what it was when we first came out here. There was nothing here at first," said Spc. Shane Blanchard, an intelligence collector with the 512th Maintenance Company, 1103rd CSSB. "Now, they made it so people actually want to play."

2nd Lt. Tamara Brewer, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1103rd CSSB, had the idea to refurbish the miniature golf course and have the challenge.

"Soldiers worked all on their personal time. After their missions, they would come in after their sleep cycles to work on it," said Brewer. "The Soldiers took pride in their work and used their skills, creativity and ingenuity."

Although the Soldiers did a great job, they were not always excited about working on the course.

"At first they were like, 'No, it's silly. We're in a combat zone. It's one more thing to do'," Brewer said. "S6 started first, then it went to (support operations) and trickled on down."

"People started getting excited and everyone represented their company incredibly well," Brewer added.

Before the competition began, Maj. Terrence Hayes, 1st Sustainment Brigade chaplain, had the tough job of judging each of the designs, which were supposed to best represent their company or section.

"Terrible! This is absolutely terrible," said Hayes. "I can't choose. There are too many good ones."

Despite the difficulty, the chaplain did choose and in the end the battalion's communications and information technology section won best overall design.

"It's original, challenging . . . It will be interesting to see the lowest number of strokes it takes to get it in the hole," said 1st Sgt. Jason Roach, 494th Transportation Company's first sergeant, when he attempted to conquer the hole.

As the tournament continued, the designs weren't the only things to stand out on the golf course.

Capt. Larry Johnson and 1st Sgt. Kent Galvin, commander and first sergeant of the 41st Transportation Company, 1103rd CSSB, played in the challenge as an entourage as their Soldiers cheered them on.

Two of their Soldiers acted as caddies and carried clubs in a golf bag made of card board and another two Soldiers held up signs that said "quiet" when the crowd got too noisy or "applaude" when they wanted the audience to root for their team.

"(The commander and first sergeant) wanted to go all out for the tournament," said Staff Sgt. Nakita Fox, a Soldier with the 41st Trans. Co. who held up some of the signs.

"We got caddies and applause signs. We're mimicking movies like 'Caddy Shack' and 'Happy Gilmore,' having a little fun," said Fox.

Whenever the commander or first sergeant hit a hole-in-one, a Soldier wearing a hard hat with a nail sticking out of it would cheer excessively loud and spray a can of non-alcoholic beer into the air.

Although the Soldiers of the 41st Transportation Company, 1103rd CSSB, brought a sense of humor to the challenge, they left their A-game at home.

At the end of the challenge, it was Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery, who came out on top.

Capt. Steve Mattingly, the company's commander, and Staff Sgt. Jared Deatley, a personnel clerk in the company, signed their balls and gave them to Brewer as a memento.

"It feels great to win. It would have felt better if there was tougher competition," Mattingly said jokingly. "It was a good time."

"I wanted a good morale and team builder. With all the missions we have all over (Multi-National Division-Baghdad), it's hard to get everyone together on the ground. This is our way to do that," said Brewer, who was rather pleased with the outcome of the day's events.

"It's great to see smiles on people's faces, complete laughter ... That was so much fun. I'm so excited everyone was relaxed and had fun," Brewer said.

• Date Taken: 11.12.2007
• Date Posted: 11.12.2007 15:02
• Story ID: 13832
• Location: TAJI, IQ