Vanguard staff tee off in golf scramble

By Staff Sgt. Elvis UmanzorMay 28, 2014

Vanguard staff tee off in golf scramble
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Creadick, an electronic warfare noncommissioned officer with 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, putts a ball in for a birdie during the Vanguard Brigade's staff golf s... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Vanguard staff tee off in golf scramble
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. Orlando Varela (left), from Charlestown, S.C., and the Headquarters and Headquarters Company commander for 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, and Capt. Hugh Pearce, from Dublin, Ga., the company's executive officer, high f... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT STEWART, Ga. - Eleven staff sections from 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, known as the Vanguard Brigade, took to the greens to enjoy a golf scramble at Taylor's Creek Golf Course, May 22, on Fort Stewart.

"The staff has got to take a break occasionally to have a little fun," said Maj. Robert Howard, the brigade's executive officer. "They work tremendously difficult tasks; they work multiple complex projects all the time in addition to all the daily tasks that have to be accomplished to keep a brigade running in supporting battalions and companies."

For the last six months the Vanguard Brigade has been in a reset phase since returning from their combat tour in eastern Afghanistan.

This included the reset and reintegration of soldiers, equipment, weapons, vehicles and the rebuilding of reporting and administrative systems. At the same time, the staff personnel who work to ensure the daily brigade operations, tasks and missions are met have planned and prepared for the brigade's reorganization, supported training for the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, and provided training support for the Florida National Guard.

"Because of those long hours ... occasionally as a staff we take a break and have a good time," Howard, a Savannah native, said. "It's all about team work and building esprit-de-corps."

Howard added the staff has a strong work ethic, so they include fun events every two weeks like Frisbee, football, soccer, and golf. "If we don't program breaks in to our schedule ... we'll all just continue working," he added.

Sgt. Damion Gray, from New York City, and a provost marshal operations non-commissioned officer, who enjoys the sport and hasn't played since college, said the opportunity to play was great. "I always wanted to get back into golfing," he said. "Now I have the opportunity where I have people that want to play."

Capt. Russell Stuart, a Fort Worth, Texas, native and the brigade provost marshal, said teeing off was his favorite part of playing. "Today we came in dead last, but it was a lot of fun," he added. "It was my first time on the course and I'll be back."

Some staff sections brought reinforcements from the battalion staff. First Lt. Robert Gordon, a Syracuse, New York, native and the combat observation and lasing team platoon leader with 1st Battalion, 76th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th IBCT, said, "Friendly competition is always good and it gets you a day to enjoy some of the nice weather and build some camaraderie with the team, especially the brigade teams."

A total of 27 personnel participated in the friendly match, which included staff from the provost marshal, intelligence, brigade command, operations, electronic warfare, fires, engineer, company command, safety, logistics and signal support sections. At the end of the day the electronic warfare team claimed bragging rights as the competition's winner.