Sports Article: Ingersoll, Alejandrez, Guard, Lavine
Category sponsored by Joanne Silva-Sullivan
1st Place: Sgt. G.P. Ingersoll, 1st Marine Logistics Group
This story described a competition in physical drills and live rifle fire between teams of U.S. Marines and Republic of Korea Marines. The ROK unit surprised their American counterparts by taking an early lead but the Americans prevailed with a winning score. “Maintaining and strengthening the alliance is a necessity,” said Marines from the 1st LAR. “In that context the competition succeeded.”
2nd Place: Cpl. Cindy Alejandrez, 1st Marine Logistics Group
Honorable Mention: LCpl. Alesha R. Guard, MCB Hawaii
Honorable Mention: Cpl. Nicole A. Lavine, Twentynine Palms
Winning stories are published below
1st Place: Sgt. G.P. Ingersoll, 1st Marine Logistics Group
Marines, ROKs face off in live-fire competition
RODRIGUEZ LIVE-FIRE COMPLEX, South Korea — Sgt. Deandray L. Dyer didn’t think it was going to be much of a competition. Until the ROKs started shooting.
The Marines of 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance soon found themselves down 2 – 0 at the hands of the Republic of Korea Marines during a “lumberjack” range competition here Feb. 29.
The lumberjack competition consists of two four-man teams, racing each other first to complete cardiovascular exercises, such as sprints and pushups. The exercises end when competitors reach their weapons, which are already set up at the firing line, and the first man begins to fire. The second man fires when the first exhausts his ammo.
The object of the game is to shoot a two-inch-by-two-inch post in half before the other team does. Sounds like an easy task, until you factor in distance (no more than 25 yards), protective equipment and heavy breathing.
“(Competition) breeds a desire to perform, it gives both of us an opportunity to showcase our tactical and technical prowess,” said 1st Lt. Damon A. Doykos, platoon commander, 1st LAR.
And showcase they did, as the ROKs astounded Marines by jumping out to a quick lead.
“There’s no two ways about it, they’re just out-shooting you guys,” said Staff Sgt. Thomas R. Johnson, platoon sergeant, 1st LAR.
Rather than be discouraged, the challenge bolstered the Leathernecks, who in turn surged forward with two wins of their own. But the competition wasn’t just about winning.
“When we knew we were going to be training with the ROK Marines, we knew this competition was something you could develop a long-term relationship through,” Doykos said.
The ROK leaders agreed.
“At first the training was awkward because we didn’t know each other; it was just U.S. and Korea,” said Sgt. Kang-Sik Lee, 22, from Dae/Go, South Korea. “Now we have a feeling of unity,” said Lee, a rifleman, with ROK 2/1.
Lee also said the drill helped him gauge his urban marksmanship, a particular skill he admits these Marines have a lot of war-time experience in. The respect was mutual.
“These dudes are no J-V; they know their weapons,” said Johnson, 28. “All in all, I’d say I’d fight with them.”
Maintaining and strengthening the alliance is a necessity, Marines from 1st LAR said. In those aspects, the competition succeeded.
These games build morale and overall cohesion between allies, said Dyer, an LAV gunner with 1st LAR.
“This is a friendly competition,” said Dyer, 26, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Win or lose, the game trained Marines from both countries, and that’s the overall point.
But it’s still fun to win.
Final score: U.S. Marines 7; ROK Marines 2.
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2nd Place: Cpl. Cindy Alejandrez, 1st Marine Logistics Group
1st Sgt. Butterfield resurrects skateboarding career
AT-TAQADDUM, Iraq – Search the web for a skateboard move called the “Butterflip,” and it will give technical, step-by-step directions on how to execute the move, assuming one is already experienced with a skateboard.
Or ask 1st. Sgt. Butterfield for help. After all, he invented it.
Keith S. Butterfield, first sergeant, Headquarters and Support Company, 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 22nd Naval Construction Regiment, is a professional freestyle skater who has recently picked up his skateboard after a 24-year hiatus.
Since then his signature move has been redone over and over again by kids around the world and is part of Butterfield’s legacy as a freestyle professional skater from the early 80’s.
During his skateboarding career he won all of the 16 international amateur freestyle skateboarding contests and was sponsored by several businesses such as Bucci Sunglasses, Tracker Trucks and OJ Wheels. He also appeared in a few films, most notably his cameo in the vampire movie, “The Lost Boys.”
“I wanted to raise a family and back in the 80’s there wasn’t a lot of money in skateboarding,” said Butterfield, a 42-year-old from Santa Cruz, Calif. “So I skated until 1985.”
After skateboarding, Butterfield worked various jobs before enlisting in 1990, following in the footsteps of his father who served as a Marine during Vietnam.
“I knew the Marine Corps would be there for me and my family as well,” said Butterfield. He has been married for 17 years, had three children and has made a successful career in the Marine Corps.
Butterfield, described as one of the unknown innovators in Jocko Weyland’s book “The Answer is Never: A Skateboarder’s History of the World,” didn’t skate again until his 6-year-old son asked him to.
“After a 24-year hiatus my kids were telling their friends about the Butterflip, so all these little kids were kind of daring me to do the trick in July 2007,” said Butterfield. “They were all smiles and said ‘I wish my dad could do that.’”
Butterfield explained it was that incident which motivated him to start skateboarding again. The endeavor has been successful; a freestyle skateboarding company now sells his skateboard decks.
“In the past nine months I have done more with skateboarding than I did as a professional in the 80’s,” said Butterfield. “I have been picked up by a couple of sponsors, and have two skateboards that are sold out.”
“Where I make the most impact is mentoring the youth of today all over the world,” he said. “As a father of three and a Marine first sergeant, I see how my skateboarding allows me an opportunity to do something very positive.”
Butterfield also writes for a skateboarding magazine and answers emails from young fans and their parents. He feels that his career in the Marine Corps is an example to kids and their parents that skateboarding isn’t just a hobby for troublemakers but can be used as a vehicle to learn self discipline, the values of hard work and dedication.
“The thing about free-style skateboarding is that it takes an extreme amount of discipline and I took that into the Marine Corps,” Butterfield said. His message is simple: “You get out of something what you put into it.”
He started his Marine Corps career in the avionics field, later becoming a drill instructor and senior drill instructor at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. He followed that with a three-year tour at the Staff-Non-commissioned Officer’s Academy in Okinawa, Japan, serving as an instructor.
He was selected to the rank of first sergeant in 2005 and is now serving his first tour in Iraq with 7th ESB.
Butterfield added he is proud to be serving in Iraq with a great group of Marines.
“The Marines are disciplined, trained and motivated,” Butterfield said. “The engineers out here are doing great things.”
Behind his desk are photos of his family, from this deployment and of course of his skateboard. Skateboarding will remain in the back of his mind until he returns from his deployment.
“Even though I am skateboarding for fun and for health there is a world of competition out there,” said Butterfield who plans on competing in early 2009. “My wife says I’m going through my mid-life crises.”
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Honorable Mention: LCpl. Alesha R. Guard, MCB Hawaii
Sweating off the pounds … temporarily
The benefits of saunas have been argued and continue to be tested while many athletes use them for health benefits as well as quick weight loss.
As saunas prove to be beneficial, it’s important to know how to use them safely to prevent serious health risks.
“Some service members use the sauna to lose a few pounds right before a weigh-in,” said Tina Lui, assistant manager, Semper Fit Center here. “This can be very hard on their body especially if done before a physical fitness test. The weight loss comes from losing water weight, ultimately dehydrating the body and causing them to be fatigued for the PFT.”
Wrestlers and boxers also use saunas to get their weight down for weigh-ins, but usually have enough time to rehydrate their body before they compete, said Morris Watson, personal trainer, Semper Fit Center. If you weigh in right before a PFT, you won’t have time to re-hydrate your body.
“The weight you lose in a sauna is only a temporary loss of water weight from your body, essentially dehydrating your body,” Watson said. “As soon as you drink water, you’ll gain that weight right back.”
Although permanent weight loss isn’t one of them, the sauna can provide other benefits, Watson said. Some people find sitting in the heated
room therapeutic as they feel their body sweat and their muscles warm.
“Sweating itself is a good way to detoxify the body,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Edward Hanson, general duty corpsman, military medicine, base health clinic. “Sitting in a sauna forces your body to sweat-out toxins while increasing your circulation. It can be beneficial after a workout because it helps relieve lactic acid, which is what makes your muscles sore after physical activity.”
Malia Benzmarrs, Maui native, said she enjoys the sauna post-workout. She uses Semper Fit’s sauna after a workout to help release toxins in her body and relax her muscles.
“While it feels like it’s warming your muscles, it isn’t preparing them for a workout,” Lui said.
Although the sauna may heat your muscles, it doesn’t prepare them for physical activity and is not a substitute for a warm-up routine, said Crystal King, personal trainer, Semper Fit Center.
“You should not use it as a pre-workout routine,” King said. “You still need to get your heart rate up, and prepare your body for a workout with cardio and stretching.”
For long-term weight loss, you will have to lose it the old fashioned way with diet and exercise, King said. While your body may feel fatigued after using the sauna, sweating alone doesn’t burn calories.
“If you do use the sauna, you need to limit your time to 20 inutes,” Watson said. “Staying in there longer than recommended can lead to you passing out or possibly having a stroke.”
Wear breathable clothing and be well hydrated before using the sauna, Lui said.
“Extra clothes clog pores, so your body can’t naturally evaporate sweat into the environment,” Lui said. “When that happens, your natural body heat regulation is thrown off.”
After using the sauna, be sure to replace your lost fluids with water or a sports drink to replenish lost electrolytes, Hanson said.
Because there are many misconceptions of sauna’s health benefits, the personal trainers agree you should consult your personal physician about other potential health benefits.
As far as your next PFT, save the sauna for afterwards, and hydrate your body beforehand for optimum performance.
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Honorable Mention: Cpl. Nicole A. Lavine, Twentynine Palms
Combat Center fighters take title at Grapplers Extreme
MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. —The Combat Center mixed martial arts team claimed the novice team trophy in its third amateur grappling tournament in San Bernardino Sept. 27.
Seven team members from Fight Club 29 fought in the Grapplers Tournament Extreme at the Army National Guard armory in San Bernardino, Calif., bringing home a total of three gold medals, two silver and one bronze, said Mark M. Geletko, Fight Club 29 head coach.
Of the seven fighters, four have fought in previous grappling tournaments with the team.
Omar Askew, the team’s welterweight competitor, has competed in three grappling tournaments in the past and was one of the fighters who took home the gold.
Askew said he believes attitude and good technique are the cornerstones to winning a solid fight.
“I think the reason I won this tournament is because I was able to walk out onto the mat relaxed and calm,” said Askew, an Atlanta native. “When you keep your patience, you’re able to maneuver and manipulate the match and execute your moves. You can respond to your opponent and listen to the instructions your coach gives you at the same time.”
David Dew, junior middleweight fighter, fought his way to gold through three opponents as if he was not a beginner fighter, said Geletko.
Brian Perez, a middleweight competitor who also won gold, said he believes physical conditioning is his strong point and there is always room for improvement.
“I think I can work on everything,” said the Blythe, Calif., native, about his performance. “I can’t pinpoint any one thing to improve on. You can always get better.”
Fight Club 29 members dominated the middleweight class to the point where two fight club members had to fight each other. Perez stepped on the mat facing fellow 165-pound teammate Daniel Marquez and came out on top.
Perez attributes the team’s success on the mat to uncompromising practice and training endured by each member, as well as the coaches.
“I’m not surprised the team did so well,” Perez said. “We all trained hard, and I fully expected everyone to do as well as they did. I knew from our hard work that we’d take away the gold medals.”
John Romero, the team’s grappling coach, played a major role in the team’s success by leading rigorous ground fighting training, said Geletko.
“He was our key to getting all those wins through submissions,” said the Pittsburgh native. “I think our conditioning was a big reason we got gold medals. You could see at the ends of a lot of those fights that our guys had a lot of gas left when the opponents didn’t.”
Although the team did not fight many matches due to the small competitive field at the tournament, Gelekto said he was pleased with their performance.
“I was pretty satisfied with how the team did, especially coming in with as many beginners as we did,” he said.
Romero said he was equally satisfied with the team’s accomplishments and hopes to watch each member improve through the progression of the grappling quarter this winter.
“The team came a long way in the short time we spent on the ground,” said Romero, a Phoenix native. “They did a great job, and I’m proud of each one of them. We just have to keep pushing and making everyone better.”
The team is scheduled to compete in another amateur Grapplers Tournament Extreme in San Diego in October, said Geletko.
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