Team Navy Brings Home 28 Medals from Warrior Games 2014

By Robin Hillyer-Miles, Fleet and Family Readiness Public Affairs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (NNS) -- The 39 seriously wounded, ill and injured Sailors who competed on Team Navy won 28 medals - including 12 gold medals - at the fifth annual Warrior Games Sept. 28 - Oct. 4 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

"The premise of the Warrior Games is that, for these athletes, their best days are still ahead of them," said the Honorable Juan M. Garcia, III, assistant secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs), who attended part of the Warrior Games. "Once you are part of the Navy and Marine Corps family, it doesn't expire - that's for the rest of your life."

Among the highlights of this year's Warrior Games was Team Navy's gold-medal win against the Marines in sitting volleyball Oct. 2. After two tight sets, Team Navy stormed ahead in the third set to sink the Marines 2-1 (26-24, 20-25, 15-6). It was the team's first medal in sitting volleyball since the inception of the Warrior Games.

"I'm still on cloud nine," said Team Navy sitting volleyball coach Rik Mullane at the conclusion of the match. "I am just so happy for these guys and girls. They worked so hard."

Team Navy also excelled in the track and field competition Oct. 2 at Fountain Fort Carson High School's Garry Berry field, winning seven gold, six silver and two bronze medals. During the final event of the day, four members of Team Navy clinched gold after a stunning performance in the men's 4 x 100-meter relay. The wounded warrior athletes came from behind to complete the race in just 48.15 seconds.

"One thing I absolutely love about the Warrior Games is it's not a pity party," said retired Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Redmond Ramos, who won several medals in track. "I like to say: It's not a bunch of disabled people who are competing, it's a bunch of people competing who are disabled. And I think that makes a huge difference. This is a tough competition and we're all here to win."

"It's just a great experience to be here with people who have been hurt, but they're not letting it stop them," he added.

In shooting competitions Oct. 3 at the Olympic Training Center, Team Navy scored three gold medals and one silver medal. Navy Airman Sadie Strong became only the second female ever to win gold in a Warrior Games shooting event, finishing at the top in the air rifle prone (open) finals. Retired Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician 1st Class John Kremer repeated last year's gold medal win in the air rifle prone (SH1) competition, and retired Navy Lt. j.g. Laura Root also won gold for a second consecutive year, besting her competition in the air rifle standing (open) category.

"I'm just so glad I got to come to the Warrior Games again, and to be able to compete in a sport I love," said Root.

The Navy wheelchair basketball team also received a bronze medal on Oct. 3 after fiercely battling and ultimately falling to the Army the previous day.

Thirty-nine wounded warrior athletes competed on behalf of Team Navy this year. The Warrior Games brought together approximately 200 service members with upper-body, lower-body, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, visual impairments, serious illnesses and post-traumatic stress who participated in seven sports.

Team Navy is sponsored by Navy Wounded Warrior (NWW) - Safe Harbor, the Navy and Coast Guard's wounded warrior support program.

Cub Scouts Attack Navy SEAL 'O' Course

By By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class William S. Parker, Naval Special Warfare Group Two Public Affairs

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va (NNS) -- Cub Scout Pack 364, had the opportunity to experience the Naval Special Warfare Obstacle Course ('O' Course) during a visit to the East-Coast SEAL (Sea, Air, and Land) and SWCC (Special Warfare Combatant Crewman) Scout Team on Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story Oct. 2.

The visit was in conjunction with SCOUTStrong Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) Challenge. Presidential Active Lifestyle Award Challenge is designed to motivate participants to be physically active on a regular basis by allowing them to participate in activities they enjoy, as well as improving their eating habits, and in 2011, the Boy Scouts of America aligned with the Presidential Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition with the shared goal of promoting good health for America's youth. The SCOUTStrong PALA Challenge, a Scout-specific PALA challenge, is one of the results of this alliance.

"To earn the SCOUTStrong PALA Challenge award, a participant is required to meet a daily activity goal of 30 minutes per day for adults and 60 minutes a day for people under 18, for at least five days a week, for a total of six weeks. The participants pick their activities and strive to reach their goals, logging their physical activity and can take up to eight weeks to complete the program," said Richard Lebel, Cub Scout Pack 364 Cub Master.

Several adults and more than 40 children from the pack took part in the course.

Pack 364 had the opportunity to be coached by Navy SEALs (Sea, Air and Land), and SEAL candidates, currently undergoing the Fleet Transition Program, who motivated the scouts and showed them how to properly perform and complete each obstacle on the course.

"It was really fun to come out here today and lead the 'pack' through the 'O' Course," said Chief Special Warfare Operator Phillip Sandberg. "I really liked the team work and motivation the cub scouts showed throughout each obstacle."

The scouts really enjoyed their time on the 'O' Course.

"It was so much fun, my favorite part was the monkey bars, and jumping over the walls," said Gabe Warner, a Pack 364 cub scout.

The visit was attributed to the preparation and planning of Navy Career Counselor 1st Class Katie Warner, a Command Career Counselor and mother of Cub Scout Gabe Warner.

"The kids had a half day off at school, so I thought this would be a fun way to spend the other half of the day and also help out the cub scouts with their SCOUTStrong PALA Challenge award. The kids all had a great time and cannot wait to come back and do the 'O' Course again," said Warner.

The Navy SEAL and SWCC Scout Team identifies and engages high-quality, potential SEAL and SWCC candidates, informs them of a career in Naval Special Warfare and assists them with the recruiting process.

USS STOUT Command Master Chief Relieved

By U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Public Affairs

NORFOLK (NNS) -- The command master chief of USS Stout (DDG 55) was relieved of his duties Oct. 3.

Command Master Chief (SW/FMF/MCD/FPJ) Albert Marcucci was relieved of his duties by USS Stout (DDG 55) Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Andrew Fitzpatrick following non-judicial punishment proceedings.

Marcucci, began serving as Stout's command master chief in May 2013, has been temporarily assigned to the staff of Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic in Norfolk, Va. Command Master Chief (SW/AW) Ron Glass has been assigned as the Command Master Chief of Stout as the permanent relief.

Stout, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, recently returned April 4, 2014 from an eight-month deployment to the 6th Fleet area of operations.