GROTON, Conn. - Sailors at Naval Submarine Base New London (SUBASE) banded together for a full day of fun and exercise in the annual Battle of the Commands, Sept. 9. This year, 18 teams from various commands participated in strength, endurance, and skill competitions. Morale, Wellness, and Recreation Department (MWR) staff, led by Kevin Boedigheimer, coordinated seven different events utilizing many base facilities to challenge SUBASE's Olympic spirit.
Taking first place by storm, the team from the Submarine Electronic Computer Field "A" School (SECF) division secured their first Battle of the Commands championship for the Naval Submarine School. "I am proud of my team, and I loved the suspense," said FTC (SS) Sean Hingle, an SECF instructor. "We didn't know who the competition champions were until the every end." The SECF team won the mystery relay on the ball fields and the canoe relay on North Lake.
Nipping at their heels was the team of corpsmen from the Naval Branch Health Clinic led by HM2 Devall Wilson. "My team was very motivated this year," said Wilson, who has been a part of the base Olympiad for the past three years. His team finished in 21st place in 2007, 11th place last year, and finally reached second place this year. Will they be able to keep this trend going? "We have a new chief coming to our division who can lead our team," Wilson said. "I think we have a good shot at winning next year."
A team of Naval Submarine School students in the Apprentice Technical Training division took third place overall, with top scores in the foot race and the basketball free-throw competition. These Sailors, who graduated from Basic Enlisted Submarine School Aug. 28, enjoyed being a part of this all-day event. "I was shocked that we did so well," said SN Jechonias James.
"It was a great day with great spirit from all competitors," said Bob Kydd, Director of MWR. "I hope that we can bring in more participation from more commands as we continue to hold these events in years to come."