Photo By Pfc. Haley Haile | United States soldiers congratulate Guatemalan soldiers for winning a round in a...... read more read more
ZACAPA, Guatemala – The cheering that could be heard bursting from the stadium that Sunday morning was a blend of languages. Out on the soccer field, the grey and black of the United States Army uniforms were intermingled with the uniforms of the Guatemalan Army soldiers. Against them was the lime green and black of the Guatemalan Municipal Transit Police. Up in the bleachers, the rival teams were all joined in the same group, and throughout the game laughter and ribbing could be seen between them.
Later in the afternoon, the mix of languages could be heard again, this time at a volleyball court. No lime green and black this time. The Guatemalan soldiers that had played on the same team as the American soldiers earlier in the day were now the rivals. The competition was palpable, but the laughter and enjoyment was always evident.
United States soldiers deployed to Guatemala for Beyond the Horizon 2014 enjoyed a day of rivalry, fun, and sporting with and against the local Guatemalan service members May 11, 2014 here. Beyond the Horizon is a partnership between the United States and Central and South America and the Caribbean to bring medical, dental, and engineering services to the local people and communities. During the mission, bonds between the two nation’s soldiers are formed.
“Most of our interactions with the host nation military are professional and business oriented,” remarked Col. John Findley, Task Force Oso commander. “Being able to relax and have fun during such events goes a long way with building relationships.”
The soccer game was held at a local soccer stadium here. The teams were United States and Guatemalan soldiers against the Guatemalan Municipal Transit Police. The chief of the police challenged the Americans to a game of soccer after there had been some rivalry and soccer talk between the nations.
“This was a huge help in building international bonds,” observed Chief Warrant Officer 2 Enrique De La Rosa of the 470th MI Brigade in Texas. “It let us meet outside of the work environment, which allowed us to have fun with the Guatemalans and build camaraderie.”
This is De La Rosa’s sixth Beyond the Horizon deployment, however he has never had an opportunity like this. He and the police chief are already planning another game, this time even bigger.
“They want to set up a tournament now, between the Municipal Transit Police, the National Civil Police, and us,” De La Rosa laughed.
After the game closed, with the United States falling in at a close second, both teams were presented trophies in the name of the mayor, Eliseo Salguero Vargas, by the chief of the police Juan Bautista Perdomo.
“We are glad we were able to get together and play futbol,” Perdomo expressed after the game. “We wish you could have won first, but those things happen,” he laughed.
The sporting didn’t end once the troops left the stadium, however. That afternoon a volleyball tournament began. The teams were composed of four members from all different units of the Beyond the Horizon team, including a team of Guatemalan soldiers. This time, though, they were a team of their own and playing against the United States troops.
“It all began when the Guatemalan soldiers watched us play some games and then they played a game against us last week,” commented Capt. Major Johnson, of the 410th Civil Affairs out of Texas and the coordinator of the tournament. “We decided we wanted to put together a tournament. Their colonel called my noncommissioned officer in charge and said they wanted to play too.”
The volleyball tournament is a double elimination format and has spanned over multiple days. The United States soldiers brought the volleyball net with them in hopes to have something to do during down time. They didn’t realize they were stocking a tool to help in the bonding of nations.
“Exposure equals bonding,” commented Johnson. “The more they are around us, there is a bond being built, whether they are playing with us or against us.”
The events haven’t gone without struggles, though. The language barrier is always evident. If there isn’t a bilingual soldier near, getting the lines of communication open can prove to be challenging, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
“Sports are universal,” reflected Johnson. “Find a way to invite them to play. It doesn’t require a dialogue to play a game.”
| Date Taken: | 05.11.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 05.19.2014 13:01 |
| Story ID: | 130316 |
| Location: | ZACAPA, GT |
| Hometown: | FORT LEONARD WOOD, MISSOURI, US |
| Web Views: | 51 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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