thedrifter
03-11-09, 08:37 AM
Tacoma, WA - Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Guardsmen find fun, camaraderie on dusty field
SCOTT FONTAINE; scott.fontaine@thenewstribune.com
Last updated: March 10th, 2009 11:52 PM (PDT)
RAMADI, Iraq – Watch out for ground balls. They can be nasty on Camp Ramadi’s softball field.
“I caught one in the eye just last week,” Spc. Vireak Sok of Kent said. “There are rocks everywhere. They’ll kick up a ball and – bang! – catch you right in the eye.”
The field also presents a few other challenges: A pop fly can be lost in a duststorm, and a scheduled game will be canceled on short notice because the other team is called away on a mission.
But sleepy Camp Ramadi in Anbar province, home to 3,100 U.S. service members and private contractors, offers little else in the way of entertainment.
The headquarters of the 81st Brigade Combat Team, which runs day-to-day operations of the base, has 150 soldiers at Camp Ramadi and two teams in the 13-team softball league.
“This is a pretty small post,” said Staff Sgt. Ian Bamman, a Floridian who transferred into the Washington National Guard to deploy with the 81st. “There aren’t a lot of things to do here.”
A visit to Ramadi by four NFL players – including Larry Fitzgerald, the Arizona Cardinals’ standout Super Bowl receiver – was the biggest thing to happen on base this year, many soldiers say.
Larger American bases in Iraq offer significantly more. Joint Base Balad, for example, boasts two swimming pools and a full-sized movie theater.
Camp Ramadi’s answer? No limits on shower time and a movie room at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation center.
“I think a lot of people really want to play sports because it’s a nice way to break up the week,” said Staff Sgt. Derrick Grasty of Lacey, who organizes the sports programs on post.
Previous activities have included flag football tournaments and road runs. The base will soon host a marathon.
Bamman, who joined the 81st at unit training in Yakima in July and leads the brigade’s inspection group for electrical and fire safety, started playing softball to meet other people in his unit. Sok, a driver on a personal security detail when he’s not prowling the outfield, enjoys the camaraderie that comes from beating a team of Marines or supply contractors.
“I used to play backyard baseball, but that’s about it,” he said. “I just love the sport.”
blogs.thenewstribune.com/military
Originally published: March 10th, 2009 11:52 PM (PDT)
Ellie
Guardsmen find fun, camaraderie on dusty field
SCOTT FONTAINE; scott.fontaine@thenewstribune.com
Last updated: March 10th, 2009 11:52 PM (PDT)
RAMADI, Iraq – Watch out for ground balls. They can be nasty on Camp Ramadi’s softball field.
“I caught one in the eye just last week,” Spc. Vireak Sok of Kent said. “There are rocks everywhere. They’ll kick up a ball and – bang! – catch you right in the eye.”
The field also presents a few other challenges: A pop fly can be lost in a duststorm, and a scheduled game will be canceled on short notice because the other team is called away on a mission.
But sleepy Camp Ramadi in Anbar province, home to 3,100 U.S. service members and private contractors, offers little else in the way of entertainment.
The headquarters of the 81st Brigade Combat Team, which runs day-to-day operations of the base, has 150 soldiers at Camp Ramadi and two teams in the 13-team softball league.
“This is a pretty small post,” said Staff Sgt. Ian Bamman, a Floridian who transferred into the Washington National Guard to deploy with the 81st. “There aren’t a lot of things to do here.”
A visit to Ramadi by four NFL players – including Larry Fitzgerald, the Arizona Cardinals’ standout Super Bowl receiver – was the biggest thing to happen on base this year, many soldiers say.
Larger American bases in Iraq offer significantly more. Joint Base Balad, for example, boasts two swimming pools and a full-sized movie theater.
Camp Ramadi’s answer? No limits on shower time and a movie room at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation center.
“I think a lot of people really want to play sports because it’s a nice way to break up the week,” said Staff Sgt. Derrick Grasty of Lacey, who organizes the sports programs on post.
Previous activities have included flag football tournaments and road runs. The base will soon host a marathon.
Bamman, who joined the 81st at unit training in Yakima in July and leads the brigade’s inspection group for electrical and fire safety, started playing softball to meet other people in his unit. Sok, a driver on a personal security detail when he’s not prowling the outfield, enjoys the camaraderie that comes from beating a team of Marines or supply contractors.
“I used to play backyard baseball, but that’s about it,” he said. “I just love the sport.”
blogs.thenewstribune.com/military
Originally published: March 10th, 2009 11:52 PM (PDT)
Ellie