Every year on Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, the 3rd Infantry Division celebrates Marne Week. This week brings together currently serving Dogface Soldiers, Veterans, Family members and the community to celebrate the division’s legacy
Marne Week is traditionally celebrated on the third week of November to commemorate the division’s birthday, but due to COVID-19, it was cancelled for 2020. This year it will be celebrated May 15-21. This year's activities include musical events, a military ball, and team and individual sports events for units to compete in with the goal of earning bragging rights and accruing points to win the coveted Marne Cup. The week is designed to display the fighting spirit, tenacity and Warrior Ethos of the Dogface Soldier and carry on unit’s history and legacy.
The Fort Stewart Morale, Welfare and Recreation will host the kick-off concert May 15, which will feature the country music duo Big & Rich and special guest Lathan Warlick. Concert goers of all ages are required to have a wristband. Concert is open to authorized DoD ID cardholders only.
The opening ceremony of Marne Week will happen May 17 at 6:30 a.m. at the event stage near the intersection of Gulick Avenue and Warrior Road. After the ceremony is complete, the division bed race will begin.
The bed race is a new event for the Marne Division. Leading up to it, battalions built their own bed on wheels, which are manned by teams of four pushers and one bed rider. During the event, teams will race down Gulick Avenue for more than a mile and complete a mystery physical challenge event midway. The event will be streamed live on Facebook at (https://www.facebook.com/3rd.Infantry.Division/).
A basketball tournament will be held at 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team’s outdoor courts from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 17-20. Teams of five to ten Soldiers will compete in single elimination tournament games with two, ten-minute halves each.
A functional fitness competition will be held at Caro Gym May 17 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A four-day combatives tournament is scheduled to be held at Johnson Gym from May 17-20 beginning daily at 9 a.m. This event will consist of seven weight classes, ranging from flyweight (125 pounds and under) to heavyweight (206 pounds and up).
Teams of six Soldiers from participating units will pull their weight in a tug of war competition May 17 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Quick Track near Cottrell Field.
Soldiers will aim for bullseyes during an archery competition at the Fort Stewart Archery Range May 17 starting at 9 a.m.
The United Service Organization is sponsoring a video game tournament along with a cornhole tournament. The gaming tournament will include 32 teams of two players playing Halo. Check-ins will be at 9 a.m. May 17. The cornhole tournament will be held May 19 and include 32 teams of either single or two person teams.
Unit teams can compete in a dodgeball tournament at the tennis courts near Newman Fitness Center May 17-18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Teams of no less than five to six Soldiers or spouses will go head-to-head in 15-minute matches.
From May 18-20, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., battalion teams of eight to 20 can compete in a double elimination, one pitch softball tournament on the softball fields behind Child Development Center Bldg. 475. Games will be five innings with three outs per inning.
Donovan Field will host Marne Week’s ultimate Frisbee tournament May 18-19 starting daily at 9 a.m., with teams of nine playing single elimination games with two, 20-minute halves.
Teams of eight will compete in a single elimination soccer tournament on the Quick Track field beginning daily at 8 a.m. May 18-19.
A volleyball tournament will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 18-19 at Caro Gym. Teams of six to ten Soldiers from participating units will play a single elimination tournament with a score of 15 to win. Teams in the finals of the tournament will play a best-of-three game series.
A flag football event will take place at Sport Annex 824 near the 87th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 18-20. Unit teams of seven to 20 Soldiers will compete in a single game elimination tournament.
Soldiers will get down and dirty during the Marne Mudder—an obstacle course that will test each team's athleticism, endurance, tactics and knowledge May 18 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A twilight tattoo will take place on Cottrell Field at 4:30 p.m. May 18. This event will start with a 30 minute concert by the Division’s Band. It will also include both an enlistment and reenlistment ceremony as well as recognition for the division’s volunteers of the year. Periodic uniforms of 3rd ID will also be displayed during the event.
Family day events will take place May 19 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the parking lot of Newman Fitness Center. Sixth Street in the vicinity will be blocked off to traffic to provide room for military vehicle static displays, bounce castles, entertainment by the 3rd Infantry Division band, and food and beverage stations provided by the United Service Organization and by unit family readiness groups.
Weather permitting, at 12 p.m. the family day will also feature a parachute demonstration by the Black Daggers, the official U.S. Army Special Operations Command Parachute Demonstration Team.
The Marne golf scramble will take place at Taylor Creek Golf Course May 19 starting at 9 a.m. With scramble rules in place, teams of four will complete 18 holes with the lowest team score winning.
The swimming relay will be held at Newman Fitness Center May 20 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This will be a single elimination event with teams of four. Each team member will swim 50 meters.
The division will rename the special occasion location known as Marne Garden to Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe Garden during a special ceremony. The event is invite only, but will be live-streamed on the 3rd ID Facebook page.
Memorializing Soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice is a time-honored tradition in the Army. Cashe’s story is one known by Soldiers throughout the Army and epitomizes a true warrior’s spirit. As a Soldier and leader, he personified the “not fancy, just tough” spirit of the 3rd ID “Dogface” Soldiers.
On Oct. 17, 2005, Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn C. Cashe, a Soldier assigned to 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd ID, pulled six Soldiers and one interpreter out of a burning Bradley Fighting Vehicle near Samarra, Iraq. Cashe’s platoon was patrolling to clear a route for a resupply convoy when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device that caused the vehicle to catch fire. Cashe, acting on instinct, returned to the burning vehicle over and over again to retrieve his team and moved them to a safe location. All of the Soldiers on that BFV, including Cashe, sustained significant burn wounds and were evacuated to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. Ultimately, four of the Soldiers perished from their wounds; Cashe was the last to die on Nov. 8, 2005. Cashe was ultimately awarded the Silver Star Medal for his bravery and heroism.
A wheelchair basketball event will start at 9 a.m. May 20 at the Soldier Recovery Unit court. This tournament will be single elimination with two, 10-minute halves with teams of three to six people.
A 10km team race will begin at 8:30 a.m. May 20. Teams of four Soldiers will compete for the fastest overall time.
The spouse’s kickball tournament kicks off at 8 a.m. May 20 at the youth baseball field near the InterContinental Hotel Group lodging. Participants will pick teams and play games of five innings each with three outs per inning.
Marne week will culminate with the 3rd ID Soldiers Ball sponsored by the Society of the Third Infantry Division.
The many events will serve as a chance to bring Dogface Soldiers past and present, and their families together to enjoy comradery and celebrate being members of the Rock of the Marne Division.
For more information on Marne Week and its activities visit:
https://home.army.mil/stewart/index.php/units/3ID/marne-week
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