2nd CAB Soldier wins Armed Forces Softball Tournament

Courtesy Photo | First Lt. Courtney Clausi, the assistant 2nd CAB personnel section officer and native of Ashland, Va., waits for a pitch Sept. 25 on a softball field at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Clausi was part of the All-Army Softball Team which competed in the Armed Forces Softball Tournament.  

PYEONGTAEK, 41, SOUTH KOREA

10.21.2015

Story by Sgt. Jesse Smith 

2nd Combat Aviation Brigade

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea – The sun is high in the sky and the smell of fresh cut, green grass is in the air. Family and friends are gathered and seated together in the bleachers. There is a long line extending not only from the concession stand, but also the restroom. The first “crack” of a bat is heard and cheering ensues. This is the scene that can be found on most days at softball games come the fall season and one 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade Soldier loves these kinds of days.

First Lt. Courtney Clausi, the assistant 2nd CAB personnel section officer and native of Ashland, Va., won the Armed Forces Tournament on September 21-25 at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina as part of the All-Army Softball Team. She arrived to training camp for the team in August not knowing if she would even make the team.

“There was no guarantee to make the team,” Clausi said. “I wasn’t sure how many people were going to show up for the tryout.”

There were only 16 participants initially so one had to be cut when the time came, she said. The competition was tough. They immediately began playing in scrimmages against local teams every night after eight hours of practice during the day. On the weekends, the team played in different tournaments around Fort Meade, Maryland and Richmond, Virginia.

The final competition the team participated in was the Armed Forces Tournament. The Navy, Air Force and Marines were the other teams competing. The All-Army Softball Team ended up undefeated in the tournament. Defeating each of the other teams three times for a record of 9-0.

“I think the best moment of this experience for me was when I figured out that we had clinched the victory over the tournament,” Clausi said. “We said going into this that we would be undefeated in the end and we did it.”

Clausi said she wants to return next season if possible and will take everything she learned during this experience and use it in the future.

“We took 16 people from all over the Army and brought them together in just one month’s time to win this competition,” she said. “It took a great amount of teamwork and effort, but we made it happen.”

Clausi said she loved the atmosphere they played in and will remember this experience for the rest of her life.

• Date Taken: 10.21.2015
• Date Posted: 10.20.2015 21:37
• Story ID: 179462
• Location: PYEONGTAEK, 41, KR