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Every year, the 3rd Infantry Division hosts a week-long sports competition called Marne Week to celebrate the division’s birthday. This year, the division celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Marne – the historic World War I battle where the division adopted its moniker of ‘The Rock of the Marne.’
After training in the field from July through November, Marne Week was a great opportunity for Soldiers to participate in friendly competition and earn points towards the commander’s cup. Soldiers were able to see another side of who they work with in a relaxed environment to build esprit de corps.
“Marne Week was fun, I participated in more than one event,” said Staff Sgt. Mark Trejo, the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade provost marshal noncommissioned officer in charge. “It was competitive and built camaraderie, it was a great event. I wish we did it more, the competitiveness can’t be described.”
Teams from across Ft. Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield competed in Combatives, softball, volleyball, functional fitness events, and much more.
“I enjoyed Marne Week, there was a lot of participation and excitement,” said Spc. Dominique Goldsborough, an intelligence analyst with HHC, STB, 3rd Inf. Div. Sust. Bde. “It was a great honor to represent my unit and perform one of my favorite activities, Combatives.”
There were also family-oriented events, such as spouse’s kickball, family day and a tree lighting ceremony. Families are the backbone of our Soldiers and Marne Week is a fun way to incorporate spouses and children as well as transition into the holiday season.
Many events were also centered on team play and arduous physical tasks. For example, the Marne Mudder included climbing over walls, crawling face-first through muddy water, fireman carrying teammates and pushing a truck. There was also a functional fitness event that featured the new Army Combat Fitness Test (AFCT), Cross Fit circuits, and a swim relay.
“Functional fitness hurt a lot, I found things that I was strong in and things I needed to improve in,” said Trejo. “We need to put a lot of those exercises in our physical training program to prepare for the ACFT because if Soldiers aren’t prepared for it they’re going to get hurt.”
With readiness continuously at the tip of the Army’s spear, having events that tested Soldiers’ physical prowess and mental agility was an important part of Marne Week events.
| Date Taken: | 12.11.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 12.18.2018 11:19 |
| Story ID: | 304081 |
| Location: | FORT STEWART, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 60 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Marne Week 2018, by SGT Elizabeth Clark, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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