Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Scott Evans | FORT CARSON, Colo. – Fort Carson, Colo. – Lt. Col. Dave Wilson (center left), the...... read more read more
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FORT CARSON, Colo. – Service members throughout the 4th Infantry Division participated in both Soldier-oriented and sports activities in unit-level competition as part of Ivy Week 2019 at Fort Carson, Colorado, June 24-28.
The purpose of the annual Ivy Week event is to foster and build morale between Soldiers within the division, as unit teams compete to ultimately earn the bragging rights which come with the winning team earning the Commander’s Cup.
“The planning for Ivy Week began about six months ago,” said Maj. Marc A. Janvier, the 4th Infantry Division air missile defense chief and chief of operations. “This was my very first Ivy Week, and I was excited to be part of it.”
The competitions, which included tournaments in activities such as softball, flag football, combatives, medical stakes, and a team stress shoot, required consistent preparation by the teams in the months leading up to the start of Ivy Week in order to ensure success.
“Weeks prior, Division (Leadership) authorized us to go ahead and conduct rehearsals and training during PT time to train up for these events,” said Sgt. 1st Class Ernesto Alvarado, a softball team pitcher for Ivy Week assigned to 759th Military Battalion. “You can see that cohesion and esprit de corps at its very best. I love that it was opened up to not just Soldiers, but also family members and civilians. At the end of the day, we all serve each other. I think that’s awesome!”
While both motivation and adrenaline is high for those actively involved in the various competitions, the Ivy Week organizers and planners see to it that safety is a high priority for all involved.
“Risk mitigation measures that we implement to insure the safety of all of our Soldiers, Civilians, and Family Members (include the) enforcement of safety and regulatory standards, and the use of proper personal protective equipment for the military competition events,” Michael Sabatini, the deputy safety director, 4th Infantry Division, said. “Military police are also involved in traffic and parking control to avoid other preventable mishaps.”
The multi-day event allowed Soldiers to participate in a vast array of sporting events they may not otherwise often engage in. Organizers are hopeful to build on the enthusiasm that Ivy Week was able to cultivate.
“I’m hoping this tournament starts setting a drive for us to have more tournaments — maybe even do them quarterly to definitely build the esprit de corps and brotherhood that these competitions bring.” Sgt. 1st Class Stephen Martin, the the combatives director for Fort Carson and tournament director, said. “The combatives tournament drives training. People get excited, they get passionate, they see the tournament happening and then they want to train.”
Ivy Week through the years has proven to be successful in building relationships between the participants through the spirit of competition.
“You see the motivation in the troops because they all want to win,” Janvier said.
At the conclusion of Ivy Week 2019, the ‘Pioneers’ of 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division received the highest score for Ivy Week for the second year in a row and were awarded the Commander’s Cup during a ceremony, which was attended by the entire 4th Infantry Division.
“It felt good to win back-to-back trophies against the other battalions due to the quality of the competiveness that they bring,” said Lt. Col. Dave Wilson, the 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division commander. “It was truly an honor.”
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| Date Taken: | 06.28.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 07.01.2019 18:58 |
| Story ID: | 330022 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 104 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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