Bayern Rangers on the road to Garmisch

By Kyle Hernandez, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, N. C.January 22, 2014

Pushing the puck
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Standing tall
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

WEIDEN, Germany -- PCS moves are always a challenge -- there's packing, unpacking … not to mention trying to find a new hockey team.

While finding a team is pretty easy in the States, for Soldiers moving to Germany, it is far more difficult. Luckily, for players stationed in U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria, there's a U.S. team that's been hitting the ice and winning championships for the last five seasons.

This group, who successfully combines their love of hockey with overseas duty, is the Bayern Rangers. The players are U.S. Army Soldiers and Department of Defense civilians from Grafenwoehr-, Vilseck- and Hohenfels-based units.

The Bayern Rangers formed in September 2009 to represent the U.S. forces in Bavaria at club and military hockey tournaments throughout Europe.

"I played with the Baden Bruins, another U.S. Army team located in the Mannheim-Heidelberg area, at the (United States Air Force in Europe) tournament in Garmisch," said the team founder, retired Lt. Col. Brad Huestis, who is the chief of client services for the U.S. Army's legal offices in Bavaria. "When I moved to Grafenwoehr, there was no U.S. team to represent the U.S. forces in Bavaria in the tournament."

Huestis coached local youth ice hockey league teams in Heidelberg and Weiden, and saw the opportunity to form a U.S. military team to play local German clubs and compete in the annual military tournament.

The inaugural team took fourth place out of eight teams in the 18th Annual USAFE Ice Hockey Tournament in 2010, finishing behind the Kaiserslautern Military Community Eagles, the Geilenkirchen (Canada) Flyers, and the Aviano (Italy) Dragons.

The next year, the team won the bronze medal, finishing third out of 10 military teams.

The team's success was especially sweet for two Ranger players, Maj. Mick Mineni and Capt. Matt Donofrio, who traveled from Afghanistan on rest and recuperation leave to compete in the tournament.

In 2012, the Rangers finished third of 12 military teams, and again brought bronze medals back to Bavaria. Last year, the Rangers played an amazing eight games in three days. In the bronze medal game the team lost in shoot out to a determined Baden Bruin team.

This year the 22nd annual championships will be played Feb. 20-22, in the same historic Olympic stadium in Garmisch. The Rangers, who are enjoying a great turnout, will field two teams.

According to Huestis, one team is being built to win it all, while the second team will shoot to have a great time. Although the club will field two teams, Huestis said one thing hasn't changed.

"We're still one club with a common goal - to be outstanding representatives of the U.S. Army in Bavaria while enjoying a great weekend of hockey in a world class setting."

But playing for the Rangers brings far more than the opportunity to medal for the players.

"First, it's a great outlet for our Soldiers," said Huestis. "Second, it provides an unbelievable level of camaraderie; and third, it provides a cultural experience by playing in German rinks with German players and clubs."

Kraig Hays, an assistant professor for the University of Maryland's overseas program and the team's captain, agreed.

"We don't have a lot of opportunities to really get involved with Germans on a consistent basis, but skating with the Rangers allows us to play friendlies, and to practice with a number of teams in Bavaria, and really get to know the locals on a personal level," he said.

Sgt. Allan Shepard, 16th Sustainment Brigade in Bamberg, added: "Hockey is great physical training for those of us who play. Getting on the ice for an hour or hour and a half is like running five miles, and for us Rangers it is like 10 miles due to the hard work we put out there on the ice."

For Shepard and the other Bayern Rangers stationed in Germany, far away from friends and family, the hockey team has become their overseas family.

They share a love of country, a dedication to duty, and a passion for playing ice hockey. And, next month, they are looking forward to another great tournament in Garmisch.

Related Links:

More Bavarian News

USAG Bavaria Facebook

USAG Bavaria Flickr

USAG Bavaria website

Bayern Rangers Facebook

USAG Bavaria Rebelmouse