Coming Together

We are almost two weeks into our training and I am very pleased with how the Company is coming together.

Last night I got it in my head to do a "mandatory fun" event. We rented enough sports gear to field two softball teams and the 30 of us made a space on the huge parade field. Everyone played. Everyone played poorly, but everyone played. Even those people who hadn't played since seventh grade when they had to for school gym. There were no specific teams. In other words, it wasn't officers verses enlisted or groups against groups. Instead we split the company in two and those were the teams.

And it was a blast.

We all laughed at ourselves and each other. We talked trash and taunted one another. We cheered and had a great time.

As the sun set and we walked off everyone turned to me and said, "thank you." They were happy that they got dragged out and had a surprsingly good time. Some wanted to know if we could get a team and play when we got to Iraq. Wow.

Tonight, the officers challenged the enlisted to a game of volleyball. Now, this is a rivalry that goes back two years to the Army Reserve family picinic where the officers just barely edged out the enlisted, two games to one. The officers routed them this year at the picinic so the enlisted were hoping for a little payback. This was no holds barred (to an extent) trash talking smack down where the officers once again held their bragging rights.

Again, we all laughed and had a great time.

I have been in units where people couldn't wait until the end of the day to get away from one another. I am fortunate that event though we are in the building stages, that everyone is excited and willing to work with one another. We are getting to know one another both on and off duty. We are forging those relationships that are both formal and informal that are necessary for any good unit to run smoothly. Sure, there is a long deployment ahead of us and things will certainly change over time.

However, for now I am going to enjoy this time.