FORT BENNING, Ga., (Nov.18 2015) -- A total of five Fort Benning Soldiers represented the installation this year on the All-Army softball teams.
Sgt. Maj. Juan Burney, Maneuver Center of Excellence headquarters, and Staff Sgt. Guillermo Roman, 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, coached the women's All-Army team and coached the gold-medal All-Armed Forces women's team.
Burney said they were approached at Military Worlds about becoming the All-Army coaches and accepted the challenge.
Fort Benning representatives on the All-Army teams included Spc. Brandi Ferguson, 2nd Battalion, 58th Infantry Regiment, and Capt. Ashley Robitaille, MEDDAC, who tried out for the women's All-Army team while Spc. Jadon Matthews, 5th Squadron, 15th Cavalry Regiment, represented Fort Benning on the men's All-Armed Forces team.
"I think it has been a while since we have had that much representation," Burney said.
The trial camp for women was six weeks long and was held in Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. The men's was held in Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
At camp, participants played scrimmage games - double headers three nights a week, Burney said. On weekends, participants played in tournaments.
The first tournament was at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, where they took third place. The second was in Richmond, Virginia, where the team took first. In the third tournament, the team took first in Glen Burnie, Maryland.
"It was a tough camp," Burney said. "We pushed them to their max."
Following a down week, the team traveled to Camp Lejune, North Carolina, for the All-Armed Forces championships. The team played nine games - three against each service - the Navy, Air Force and Marines.
"From day three, they pretty much secured the gold medal," Burney said, noting the team had a 7-0 record. "But, they weren't satisfied with that."
The team won the gold medal with a 9-0 record.
"The All-Army Team was the talk of the town, because no one expected them to do as well as they did," Burney said.
When the women stepped on the field, Burney said he saw a team united and that they played hard for each other.
"It wasn't about the name on the back (of their jerseys); they played for Army," Burney said.
Of those on the team, five - one veteran and four rookies - made the All-Tournament team, five rookies made the All-Armed Forces team and Burney and Roman were chosen to coach the All-Armed Forces team by virtue of winning the gold medal.
At Nationals, Burney said the All-Armed Forces team finished with a 3-0 record.
Burney said for him it was surreal.
"It was pride all the way around, for the Army and for the Armed Forces," Burney said.
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