FORT POLK, La. -- One of the events held to honor the outgoing Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk command sergeant major - Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Greca - was a softball game pitting the post's senior officers against the senior noncommissioned officers.
The game, held at Alligator Lake, was a fun-filled affair with plenty of trash talk. JRTC and Fort Polk commander, Brig. Gen. James Yarbrough, said he only brought half of the officers because that was all they needed to win.
"I told the sergeant major that if we win, we'll purchase the Bengay for both teams," he said.
During the game, Greca attempted to pinch-hit for one of his players, but Yarbrough would have none of it.
"I'm reporting him (Greca) to the international rules committee," Yarbrough said. "I'm embarrassed."
Greca said it was all a misunderstanding, "but he's the boss."
The outgoing command sergeant major said the game was a great team-builder.
"What a great time we've had," said Greca, who's headed to Fort Drum, N.Y., to be the senior enlisted Soldier for the 10th Mountain Division. "What you've got out here today is a bunch of old folks reliving our glory days. Win, lose or draw, it's a great time."
The final score was Officers 21, NCOs 13. Greca said it should be noted the officer team practiced before the event.
"We just showed up and played," Greca said.
As to rumors by some of the NCOs that the score was an indication of who actually worked and who played on post, Yarbrough said, "I don't know if that is a fair assessment, but we did practice six times this week."
Yarbrough added the NCOs actually won.
"I think they had three pulled hamstrings and we only had two," he said, "so they beat us."
JRTC and Fort Polk Chief of Staff, Col. Rick Bloss, coached the officers. He said his strategy was simple: "Knowing the players, ensuring they had the right skills, putting them in the right places and giving them the opportunity to be successful," Bloss said. "Just like leaders are doing all across JRTC and Fort Polk."
Social Sharing