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DEL.ICIO.USHoops, movies help blunt the stress
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bita Honarva/AJC
1st Lt. Venus Wright and 2nd Lt. Chris Burton take a seat and watch a movie.
Camp Striker, Iraq — A different kind of war was waged here on a recent evening, a battle within a battalion that got the fiercest soldiers riled up.
It had nothing to do with the insurgency consuming Iraq and everything to do with basketball.
Alpha vs. Bravo.
Bita Honarvar/AJC
1st Sgt. Chris Harris of Rincon, Ga, serves it up in volleyball game.
Both companies of the 146th Support Battalion were undefeated in the ongoing tournament. Both had beaten Charlie Company and Headquarters Company. The game at hand would leave only one company on top.
On a dusty concrete court at Camp Striker, the game got under way to the delight of soldiers crowding the sidelines. It was one way to relieve stress and have a little fun.
Soldiers of the Georgia Army National Guard’s 48th Brigade Combat Team have come up with various ways to make the time in Iraq go by a little faster.
From talent shows and open mic nights, to basketball and volleyball, to simple barbecues on homemade decks outside the tents, Georgia soldiers have devised ways to have fun amid the grimness of war.
Others get together in the evenings outside their tents and sit on Army cots for a game of Uno, spades or dominoes.
As for the basketball game, well, things got a bit ugly when both teams began blaming the referee’s bad calls for the close game. In the end, Alpha Company emerged with the victory, 34-32. “We knew it would be close,” said Bravo Company’s 1st Sgt. Bobby Barnes of Glennville. “It’s just a lot of fun.”
Comments
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By miller....b/148th
September 7, 2005 12:53 PM | Link to this
nothing like a great rival game…A Co. Vs. B Co…… I’m sure bravo really won……miller misses all you in A & B co….take care and see you all soon
By Pam McLendon
September 7, 2005 09:31 PM | Link to this
We as Americans are a strong, fierce people. I am so very proud of each of you that are in Iraq. Many don’t agree with this conflict, and our being there, but that’s neither here nor there to me. I have my baby brother and nephew in Iraq with the 48th at Camp Stryker right now and all I know is that I am so proud of them and the men and women that serve with them. I’m fearful for them too, and pray for them as I am afraid of not being able to hug or kiss my sweet (Greg, I’ll deny I said you were sweet, LOL) baby brother again, or to hug my nephew Bo. I love you both very much, please be safe, and take care of each other over there. Georgette, you watch out for my brother, give him a hug from his big sister. I love you too…We miss you all. Everyone else that is serving there, Be safe, watch out for each other, know that we are so proud of each and every one of you. Come home to your families safe and sound. Much love and prayers for you all.