CAMP CASEY, South Korea -- As Soldiers and senior leaders trickle into the Commander's Cup awards ceremony Aug. 4, at Carey Physical Fitness Center on Camp Casey, South Korea, they were greeted by the 2nd Infantry Division band as they warmed up to play the Star Spangled Banner and Aegukga, the Republic of Korea's national anthem.
In the center of the gym there were three formations - the cream of the crop of competitors for each unit in the competition. The winners of the cup are split into categories of large (150 or more personnel), medium (75-150 personnel), and small units (75 or fewer personnel).
"From the time I took command in February, the Soldiers have been so motivated," said Capt. Alexander Mullin, commander of Battery A, 1st Battalion, 38th Field Artillery Regiment, 210th FA Brigade, 2nd Inf. Div., and a native of Kingwood, Texas. "We've won multiple brigade-level competitions, and in the back of our minds it was always the goal to win the Commander's Cup. For us to finish number one out of all 87 units competing, was a huge honor for us."
The Soldiers of 210th FA Bde., took home four out of nine titles in the Area 1 competition. Battery B, 1st Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 210th FA Bde, 2nd Inf. Div., and Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 210th FA Bde., won third place for the medium and large unit brackets respectively. Battery A, 1st Batt., 15th FA Regt., 210th FA Bde., won second place for the medium unit bracket, and A Battery, 1st Batt., 38th FA Regt., 210th FA Bde., won first place for the small unit bracket.
Last year, senior leaders broadened the variety of competition from sports only to include volunteering, academic enrollment, and even incorporated leisure activities into the mix. Soldiers were able to play Call of Duty, pool, or bowling through the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers program and still earn points for their unit.
"Make sure you take these lessons back," said Area 1 Garrison Commander Col. Jack Haefner. "And make sure you understand how important all of these little pieces of resilience are. Not just the physical, but the moral and the spiritual. They're the elements that make you a character-driven Soldier."
As commanders and senior enlisted advisers were called up to the stage to accept awards on behalf of their units, Soldiers in the crowd were enthusiastic. They were sounding off with mottos, hooahs and applause in celebration.
After a great deal of demand by senior leaders to offer more resilience-building opportunities like this to Soldiers, Haefner announced that the Commander's Cup will now be a quarterly event.
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