JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – Soccer has been a part of 1st Lt. Alyson Gleason’s life for as long as she can remember.
Gleason, a range control officer instructor with the 2nd Range Operations Squadron at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, grew up in a soccer family. Gleason’s aunt and uncle starred in college, and her older brother Drew won a national championship.
Gleason went to Stanford, where she added her own national championship, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant after graduation. Still yearning to play on the pitch, despite the U.S. Air Force not fielding a women’s soccer team, she joined the All-Armed Forces team.
Here, Gleason talks about what it means to play soccer for the U.S. Armed Forces.
Why compete in soccer?
I decided to try out because I’ve been an athlete my entire life. I had just finished up playing Division I college soccer and rugby, and I was not ready to give up sports at a time where I felt (and still feel) I was in peak training and condition. Also, I love team sports and the fact that you get to play and represent something bigger than yourself. I figured if I could use my athletic abilities to better the Air Force and get a chance to play for the country I love, then why not give it a shot?
What’s your experience in soccer before the Air Force?
I played club soccer all through middle school and high school. I was fortunate enough to play a few years on the U.S. Women’s National Team’s youth national team, where I was recognized and later recruited to play college soccer at Stanford University. While at Stanford, we had four Pacific-12 championships, four Final Four appearances and one national championship. I was blessed to play among many of the world’s best players during my time there, teammates who are on the U.S. women’s national team roster and some on international rosters.
Since competing in soccer for the Armed Forces, what have you gained from an athletic, military and personal perspective?
I have competed in two international tournaments now with the Armed Forces team — the first being the CISM (Conseil International du Sport Militaire) Military World games in South Korea and the second being the CISM women’s World Cup in France. Both experiences were incredible and also very different. At the Military World Games, you have all the sports you would at the Olympics. It was especially memorable to participate in the opening ceremony, where the nations came together in their various service uniforms to walk through a massive stadium under the Military World Games slogan which was “Friendship through Sport.” As a member of the military, it is often hard to imagine what it’s like to shake hands with military members of certain nations that we may not necessarily have like opinions with, but this was a reminder that service before self is something that bonds all service members together no matter what nation you’re from. It was especially unique to see that dedication to country and team manifest itself on the field with the various teams. As an athlete, I had to learn quickly that it was OK to not always be the best team as long as you played every game as hard as you could. It was humbling to say the least. Although we may not have won as many games as I wanted, both trips were something I will never forget and I am thankful I was able to participate.
What are you bringing back to your duty station by competing in soccer?
Having competed in Armed Forces soccer and a few other sports has given me the opportunity to be recognized as the Vandenberg AFB athlete of the year the past two years. As a result, many people on base have spoken to me about applying for other Armed Forces sports, what my experiences were like, and that they have been inspired by me to start or continue training. I think, especially as a female athlete, it is important to raise awareness about the opportunities the military offers to continue to participate in sports. I am thankful I’ve had the ability to share those experiences with people all across base. Additionally, soccer has allowed me to get more involved in the community in and around Vandenberg as a coach and mentor for many of the youth soccer teams in the area.
How is competing in soccer building your readiness and resiliency with your fellow Wingmen, your duty station and the Air Force as a whole?
The number one resiliency tool that competing in soccer has given me is friendship. I now have a group of teammates from all of the services stationed all around the world that I know I could contact at any time and they would be there to help me in any way they could, and I would do the same for them. Competing in soccer has also allowed me to build a culture around the importance of physical fitness for overall health both within my unit and on my base. I have been able to instill a training program within my unit that is built on camaraderie and hard work. As a result, I have helped form a teammate-like bond between many of the members. I hope as I continue my career in the Air Force I am able to spread the values I've learned through sports about the importance of commitment to better oneself and those around you every chance you get, whether that be on a field or in an office, or on a flight line or wherever your day-to-day job takes you. Additionally, I believe my role as team captain of the Armed Forces team has prepared me for international relations in the future as I had to interact with captains and coaches from other nations. It has taught me the skill of how to represent my team, the Air Force and the United States on a much higher scale.