Hughes was impressed by an editorial Fox shared about the unit's win in the post newspaper in 1969, the Flight Trainer titled, 'If you do it, do it right.' The article credits the small detachment… "less than 25 members strong, with spirit and ambition fitting of a unit many times its size. This [winning the cup] was the culmination of an entire year of work by a small group of men willing to get together and work as a team."
The article said the detachment did not win every game during the year but it did play every one for which it was scheduled. The editor summed it all up by challenging readers to contribute wholeheartedly to their work and their play.
"That's the kind of motivation I'm talking about," said Hughes, who organizes, leads and encourages Hunter's intramural tenant unit competitors in softball, basketball, and flag football.
"They were the smallest unit on the installation at that time," Hughes said. "They worked well together and they played well together. It's not always the size of the dog in the fight but how the dog rises to the fight."
"We didn't do it to win a trophy," said Fox, who was a dental lab technician sergeant at that time but after his Hunter tour, got commissioned after attending the University of Tennessee, ending his career as an Army infantry officer and since that time--security, in the civilian workforce.
"Enlisted Soldiers and officers at the clinic worked well as a team and we enjoyed playing as a team. We would have partied as a team too but that wasn't allowed.
"When I look back at those days, I think about the risks the dentists made to play sports. In doing so, they could have sacrificed their careers."
Fox said thoughts of his early military years at Hunter and time spent later in Savannah bring up emotional but satisfying memories. The comradery he experienced and the work ethic he learned at the Dental detachment paved his way for the productive military and civilian careers that would follow.
Hughes believes that sports competition reinforces teamwork and Army values.
"As I reflect on this story, my prayer is that units rise to the fight every day-- on the ballfield or on the battlefield."
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Cutline:
Carty Fax, kneeling, third from left, with his dental unit team, won the Commander's Cup in 1969 at Hunter. An editorial written in the post newspaper, "the Flight Trainer," describes the unit ...less than 25 members strong, with spirit and ambition fitting of a unit many times its size. The article said the detachment didn't win every game during the year but it did play every intramural sport for which it was scheduled.
Sidebar:
If You Do It, Do It Right
Editorial for the Flight Trainer
Hunter Army Airfield, 1969
The old silly song goes "It Ain't What' Cha Do, It's the Way That Cha Do It," and, while it may sound goofy, there's a lot more truth than silliness to it.
An example, if you will, is the Hunter Dental Detachment, less than 25 members strong, but with spirt and ambition fitting of a unit many times its size.
A few days ago, it was announced that the Dental Detachment had won the Commanding General's Sports Participation Trophy for Hunter. This was the culmination of an entire year of work by a small group of men willing to get together and work as a team.
Sure, they didn't win first place in every sport they entered, but they were the only unit to enter all of them. By the same token, they didn't win all the games they played, but they did play every one they were scheduled for.
One small unit participating in the sports program can be compared to one man participating in the mission and activities of his unit or section. By going into the sports program wholeheartedly and actively, the Dental Detachment strengthened the overall program, showing the others just what CAN be done.
Similarly, an individual going into his job wholeheartedly and actively can contribute immeasurably to the overall success of his unit's mission.
How about you, Mr. Individual? Are you contributing all you can to your job? Or are you just putting in your time and collecting your pay?
Which sounds better: "I'm doing my job" or "I'm doing my job, completely?" (JFL)
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