MALACKY AIR BASE, Slovak Rep. - Under sunny skies and a warm breeze, Soldiers with 4th Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment took a break from their labors Sept. 15, in observance of the Feast of the Lady of Seven Sorrows, a local national holiday.
"Today we are stopped at [Malacky-] Kuchyna Air Base in Slovakia, as part of our overall mission during Dragoon Crossing," said 1st Lt. Kyle Griffin, an officer with 4th Sqn., 2nd Cav. Reg. "Part of that, is playing a competitive soccer tournament here at the air base."
Exercise Dragoon Crossing, is a weeklong tactical road march, which began Sept. 13 in Vilseck, Germany and will continue to Gyor, Hungary and will feature various community engagement events and training exercises.
As the tournament began, Maj. Gen. Pavel Macko, 2nd Chief of General Staff with the Slovak Armed Forces welcomed the U.S. troops and expressed his appreciation for participating in the tournament.
"I know today is supposed to be a day for rest, but I do appreciate that you decided to still play," said Macko. "The purpose of day is to have fun, so I hope that you will have fun."
With both countries counting on two teams of their best for the win, Macko reminded them that in reality they are already one team and gave the first kick to start the games.
The games took place during Operation Atlantic Resolve, an ongoing series of training event and exercises designed to build relationships, trust and interoperability between the U.S. and its NATO allies.
For Pfc. Taquan Patterson, a bridge crewmember, with 4th Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment the tournament was a chance for Stryker Soldiers to bond with their NATO ally.
"It's kind of a way to break the ice, because we can't really speak the same language, but as you're playing soccer you get the friendly gestures from our counterparts," he said.
As Patterson played in the tournament with his counterparts, he was impressed by the courtesy and friendliness of the competition.
"The best part of the game wasn't even when I scored the goal, it was when they scored the goal and there wasn't any 'ha, ha, in your face,'" he said. "It was competitive but still friendly at the same time."
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