JEB Little Creek-Fort Story Holds 3rd Annual Command Challenge to Build a One Team Mentality

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ash Severe, Navy Public Affairs Support Element, Norfolk

June 16, 2010 - NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- Active duty members stationed on Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story held their 3rd annual Command Challenge June 11.

A maximum of 20 participants from each command team competed in six sporting events: flag football, iron team, sand volleyball, dodgeball, ultimate frisbee, and three-on-three basketball. Each of the six events are single elimination with the iron team (a team version of an iron man event) as the final event.

"It's pretty fun out here, you get to do everything as a team, as a command," said Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Maddelin Angebrand from Navy Operational Support Center Norfolk. "You kind of get to know each other a little better and work on team-building skills."

The event concluded with an award presentation for first, second and third place winners received a plaque and the base champion received a trophy presented by the base commanding officer.

"This kind of event brings the base together. On board base Little Creek-Fort Story we have 18,000 people and 155 different commands, so one of my key objectives is to get people to get to know each other, get the commands to interact," said Capt. Charles Stuppard, commander Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story. "What I've seen over the past 10 weeks that I've been here is that people just go about doing their own things. People go to work, go to their workspace, and then go home. People don't really interact, so I'm trying to do things so people get to know each other and get that camaraderie. I see Little Creek-Fort Story as one big ship, where everybody knows everybody."

The event was sponsored by Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story Morale, Welfare and Recreation.