Turkey (Aug. 15, 2013) -- Leaders of the "Lethal Strike" battalion 3rd Battalion, 2nd Air Defense Artillery who are forward deployed to Turkey in support of the NATO mission "Operation Active Fence," rarely get a chance to relax, but did they so recently on an athletic field.
The same can be said for their NATO allies from Romania -- 5th Company, 2nd NATO Signal Battalion -- who are attached to support the mission with satellite connectivity.
However, June 30 service members from both nations participated in a joint soccer match that gave both units a chance to have some fun and continue to build on the strong partnership that had already developed.
The game also served as a farewell to members of the Romanian unit as they prepare to redeploy in the coming weeks.
The 24-hour air defense mission being executed in an ever-changing environment on the border of Syria, constantly keeps these motivated leaders on their toes, so the friendly Sunday afternoon soccer match was a welcome change to the daily grind.
Though duty requirements diminished their soccer skills, all involved parties had a great time. Because of to the lack of soccer experience on the American side, the decision was made to mix the teams with Romanians and Americans.
This proved to be an excellent idea because it made the game much more competitive.
The game was very one sided at the beginning as Team Belts struggled to penetrate the defense of Team No Belts, but eventually Team Belts surged and tied the game at 12 goals each.
In the end, Team No Belts emerged victorious with several impressive goals from the Romanian leadership to win 20-16.
The day concluded as a huge success, and the Romanian players expressed their appreciation for the gesture of camaraderie from the "Lethal Strike" battalion.
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