Army beats Navy in 3rd annual flag football game held on Arsenal

ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. – (Dec. 10, 2021) The Army and Navy flag football teams battled against one another in a game held the afternoon of Dec. 10 that saw Army strike first and never look back.

While the Navy team scored several times to make it interesting, Army picked off Navy a number of times and capitalized to keep the lead and keep the trophy in this 3rd annual battle on Rock Island Arsenal.

The end score was 34 to 25 and thus the trophy will stay in the Lock & Dam Lounge, located in Building 60, another year until it's up for grabs again in the teams' next confrontation.

Both teams were made up of active and reserve troops; the Army from several commands on post to include key installation leaders like Lt. Gen. Tony Aguto Jr., commanding general, First Army, Col. Todd Allison, garrison commander, U.S. Army Garrison Rock Island Arsenal, and Command Sgt. Maj. John Dobbins, command sergeant major, U.S. Army Garrison Rock Island Arsenal; the Navy from elements inside of Navy Operational Support Center Rock Island in Building 218 to include Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel.

Darryl Howlett, public affairs specialist, First Army, has served as the main organizer of the event for the past three years. While he has served as an Army civilian for the past two decades, his allegiance remains with the Navy where he served on active duty and in the reserves as a chief petty officer for more than 20 years.

The Rock Island Arsenal Family and Morale Welfare and Recreation also provided support for the event to include bringing and running the scoreboard that kept everyone on the same sheet of music.

The Navy has yet to earn the coveted trophy which will now remain on display in the Lock & Dam Lounge. If the service manages to defeat the Army team in a future meeting, the trophy may make a journey down to the NOSC and will then have its “Navy side” facing forward and away from the bulkhead it sits against. Until then, it will continue to be proudly displayed with the “Army side” facing out sitting against the wall.