Ensign’s made a splash
May 16th, 2012 | After Action Coast Guard | Posted by Sean Smyth
Cadet 1st Class Orlando Morel is shown above the Coast Guard cutter Eagle in 2011. (Coast Guard photo via AP)
The story’s been making the rounds for the past few days, about how a young boy rescued by Coast Guard crews walked across the stage at today’s commencement ceremonies at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.
What you may not know is that Ensign Orlando Morel, that rescued boy, was a big contributor to Coast Guard’s swimming team.
Morel was one of the Bears’ top divers, regularly capturing wins in the 1- and 2-meter dives.
Nearly 20 years have passed since Morel’s rescue, but the story still resonates. “I don’t think that anything I can do will be enough as payback,” Morel said.
If you’ve missed the story, we suggest giving it a read.
Coined by the Corps
April 9th, 2012 | Golf Marine Corps | Posted by Sean Smyth
You hear a lot about Amen Corner and all those other cool spots at Augusta National, home of the Masters. You don’t usually hear much about the sixth hole, a par-3 180-yard piece of work.
If you followed Twitter over the weekend, you may have. Noted ESPN writer Wright Thompson, who has written a bit about the course home to the green jacket, had an interesting encounter on No. 6.
Here are a couple of Thompson’s tweets:
[View the story "Marine Corps at the Masters" on Storify]
Semper Fi, indeed.
Big Man on Base: Herschel Walker wins over Eglin airmen
March 29th, 2012 | After Action Air Force Football | Posted by Sean Smyth
Herschel Walker signs a 1983 Georgia Bulldogs pennant for Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Talley during Walker’s March 22 appearance at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (Samuel King Jr. / Air Force)
This slipped through the cracks last week: Herschel Walker made an appearance at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., sharing stories of his battle with mental illness and winning a legion of Air Force fans along the way.
The 1982 Heisman Trophy winner and legendary running back says he’s made stops at numerous military bases in an effort to encourage troops to not shy away from addressing mental health problems.
“Look at me. We all fall short in life,” he said.
A Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal report notes Walker received “multiple standing ovations” during an address inside an Eglin hangar.
Click here to read Bill Verona’s enrapturing report from the Walker appearance.
Boston College puts end to AFA hockey team’s season
March 28th, 2012 | After Action Air Force Hockey | Posted by Sean Smyth
Air Force senior defenseman Scott Mathis shoves Boston College’s Steven Whitney to the ice during last week’s NCAA tournament game. Top-ranked BC won the game, 2-0. Mathis is one of four seniors who’s leaving the Air Force squad via graduation. (Winslow Townson / The Associated Press)
It was a first the Air Force Academy’s hockey won’t brag about: the first time this season it was shutout. The Falcons were held scoreless in their NCAA tournament game against Boston College last Saturday, falling 2-0. Chris Kreider, a first-round NHL Draft selection in 2009, scored both of BC’s goals.
Considering who (the country’s top-ranked team) and where (in a Worcester, Mass., arena filled with BC fans), you shouldn’t be disappointed. It was only the third time in the past 10 games where BC managed to score just two goals. The Eagles are averaging 3.6 goals per game in that stretch.
Air Force coach Frank Serratore wasn’t hanging his head afterward. “That is a heck of hockey team in Boston College, and in my opinion they beat a heck of a hockey team.”
BC coach Jerry York said the Falcons were “a hard, tough out.”
Air Force finished its season at 21-11-7. It was the fifth time the Falcons managed to reach the NCAA tournament.
They’ll return four of their five top scorers from this year’s team and lose just four seniors – albeit some key players – so another tournament run isn’t out of the question.
Click here to read more about the Falcons’ future prospects.
A different Dance for Air Force hockey team
March 20th, 2012 | After Action Air Force Hockey | Posted by Sean Smyth
Everyone’s focused on the March Madness this time of year, but let’s not forget there are other NCAA championships going on, too.
Air Force senior forward Paul Weisgarber (10), shown scoring a goal against Army in January 2011, is one of the Falcons' top players. (Mike Kaplan / Air Force photo)
One of those tournaments is pretty underrated: the NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey tournament. It’s typically filled with overtime games, a smattering of upsets (though not necessarily on par with its cousin on the hardwood) and thrilling play.
Air Force is making its fifth NCAA tournament appearance this year, and the Falcons have drawn a tough road: They’ll face the tournament’s top overall seed, Boston College, at 4 p.m. EDT Saturday at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass., an hour or so west of BC’s campus.
The Denver Post notes that the Falcons (21-10-7) are 0-3 this season against teams that made the 16-team NCAA field, losing narrowly to North Dakota and Michigan State before being routed by Denver University.
Air Force earned its bid by winning the Atlantic Hockey championship, no small feat for a school located about 2,000 miles away from its closest conference foe. The Falcons beat Rochester Institute of Technology last weekend in Rochester, N.Y., for the right to enter the NCAA tourney.
You can read more about the postseason-bound Falcons here.
He’s hoping for the call
March 6th, 2012 | After Action Baseball Navy | Posted by Sean Smyth
Former Navy pitcher Mitch Harris teaches the finer points of bunting during a 2009 baseball clinic in Panama City, while on the U.S. Southern Command Partnership Baseball Tour. (Navy photo)
Almost four years after getting drafted, former Naval Academy pitcher Mitch Harris is getting onto the field with the pros.
Lt. j.g. Harris, who served as training officer aboard the guided-missile frigate Carr last year, is taking advantage of time between deployments to join the St. Louis Cardinals’ minor-leaguers at spring training.
Harris, drafted in the 13th round in 2008, is hoping the Navy will give the OK to pitch in the minors this year. He has one year left on his service commitment.
You can read more on Harris’ story here (for recent developments) and here (how things shook out in 2008).
Army 2B Zach Price up for national award
March 1st, 2012 | After Action Army Baseball | Posted by Sean Smyth
U.S. Military Academy second baseman Zach Price was recently named one of 30 candidates for the Lowe’s Collegiate Senior CLASS Award, according to the Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal.
Price, a senior at Army, is a native of Cantonment, Fla., and one of the Black Knights’ captains. He entered March hitting .303 after his first six games of the 2012 season.
A major in systems engineering, Price started the season with a .318 career batting average.
The award is presented each year to the outstanding senior NCAA Division I Student-Athlete of the Year across 10 different sports, according to the award’s website. To make the cut for the award, candidates must have notable achievements within the community, the classroom, their character and on the athletic field.
The Black Knights are 3-3 through their first six games, and they open at three-game set at Maryland-Baltimore County at 5 p.m. Friday.
Titans owner hosting GIs at Super Bowl
February 5th, 2012 | After Action Army Football | Posted by Sean Smyth
Titans head coach Mike Munchak signs autographs for Fort Campbell soldiers after a training camp practice in Nashville on Aug. 18. The Titans invited 250 soldiers to come and watch practice. (Mark Humphrey / The Associated Press)
Here’s a classy move: Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams is recognizing soldiers at Fort Campbell, Ky., and he’s hosting some of them at today’s Super Bowl.
Thirty-three Campbell GIs took off early today and made the 300-mile trip to Indy.
Joe Paterno: 1926-2012
January 22nd, 2012 | After Action Air Force Army Football Navy | Posted by Sean Smyth
You can’t deny Joe Paterno’s impact on college football, on sports. Paterno, who died Sunday at age 85 after a brief battle with lung cancer, prided himself on success with honor and dignity — hallmarks our armed forces strive for daily.
Of course the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal overshadowed much of this. But that shouldn’t wipe out the totality of the pre-November 2011 slate: his service to our country (briefly in the Army around the end of World War II), the thousands of men who graduated and later made great impacts on the sports world and other segments of society, the affection and dedication he showed to Penn State.
Paterno wasn’t a saint; he’d come off as dismissive if your question didn’t meet his liking. “That’s a dumb question” or “that’s a stupid question” were words you’d hear in his news conferences if you listened or watched frequently enough. His role in the Sandusky case, much debated, fell short of what many expected from this larger-than-life figure.
His teams went 17-3 against the service academies, with Air Force (0-2), Army (1-9) and Navy (2-8) occasional foils for the Lions, mostly in the early years. Penn State and Navy will renew their series this fall in State College after a 38-year hiatus.
With the Sandusky trial looming, the Paterno story isn’t complete. Much remains to be written, but one thing stands out today: Joe Paterno made a mark on many, for better or for worse.
Kansas State QB ties Dobbs’ mark for rushing touchdowns
January 7th, 2012 | After Action Football Navy | Posted by Sean Smyth
Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein, top, tied former Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs’ record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in one season. (The Associated Press photos)
Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein got a share of a record Friday night, but he didn’t get what he really wanted– a victory.
Klein scored his 27th rushing touchdown of the season for the 11th-ranked Wildcats, who fell 29-16 to No. 7 Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl at Cowboys Stadium, outside Dallas. That touchdown tied him with former Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs, who set the mark for most touchdowns by a quarterback in the Football Bowl Subdivision two years ago.
Klein didn’t want the focus on his record. “It’s overshadowed by our ability as a group. We came up short,” he said after the game.
Dobbs’ 2009 season was magical: He ran for 1,204 yards and passed for 1,031. Navy finished 10-4 and in the top 25 after an impressive victory over Missouri in the Texas Bowl.
The scary part: Klein has another year of eligibility left. And with this being a quarterback-laden draft, you’d assume he’s going back to Manhattan, Kan.