JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
The 27th Intelligence Squadron beat
the 633rd Medical Group for intramural flag-football championship at Joint Base
Langley-Eustis, Virginia, Nov. 27, 2018.
According to U.S. Air Force Staff
Sgt. Frank Mackay, 633rd Force Support Squadron sports program manager, each
major intramural sport is culminated, in the spirit of camaraderie, with a
championship game to find out which base unit reigns supreme in that respective
sport.
Last year’s champions, the 633rd
Medical Group, were defeated by the 27th IS who didn’t even make it to the playoffs
last year.
“I don’t even think teams really
thought of us (this year),” said Staff Sgt. Antonio Benjamin, 27th IS coach. “What
played a big difference (to win this year) was leadership—we had a new coach
Master Sgt. Masai Dafar.”
Dafar, 27th IS flight
superintendent, won intramural titles at his last base and came to the team
with a game plan to help win the championship.
Coupled with Dafar, Benjamin was
able to transmit the motivation to win to the rest of the team.
Benjamin said he enjoyed coaching a
group of players who were unselfish and listened, making it a complete team
victory.
“I play softball, football and
basketball,” Benjamin said. “This is my first intramural title, but not only
does it feel really good to win, it was fun.”
For the 27th IS, whose Airmen work
in different shops, it was an opportunity to meet one another and have fun as a
squadron.
The intramural sports program helps
Airmen exercise the four pillars of Comprehensive Airman Fitness to build and
sustain a resilient workforce.
“You have the physical aspect with
people running and exercising, but to me it’s the least important thing in the CAF,”
Benjamin said. “When it comes to the pillars of CAF, the most important one in
this case is the social aspect, getting people to come out here and get out of
their comfort zone. You get young Airmen, sergeants and officers working
together on the same level as one team.”
Following the championship game, an
All-Star game between selected MVPs from Fort Eustis and Langley Air Force Base
was played on Nov. 29, 2018.
In this matchup, Langley AFB
defeated Fort Eustis with a score of 27 to 13 and earned the right to bring
home the Commander’s Trophy.
“Bringing the Commander’s Trophy
back to Langley is awesome!” said Capt. Christina Kane, 633rd FSS sustainment
services flight commander. “The Commander’s Trophy initiative promotes
participation in all of our sports programs. We are a joint squadron but we
enjoy a little friendly competition with our sister services. The 633rd FSS
applauds all athletes participating in the All-Star game, we can’t wait to see
who is awarded the prestigious award next year!”
For more information on the
intramural sports program 225-8156.