5th CISM World Military Games

RIO de Jenario, Brazil - 12-25 July 2011

For complete results, schedules and photos of the 5th Military World Games
click on the following link - www.rio2011.mil.br

For highlight of World Games Parachuting Competition visit
http://armygk.com
For photos and comments from Armed Forces Athletes visit
www.facebook.com/TheAllArmySports and www.twitter.com/ArmyAthletes.

HIGHLIGHTS and UPDATES

Team USA wins CISM gold medal in women’s formation skydiving

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – When it comes time for Counsel International du Sport Militaire competition, Team USA can always count on the U.S. Army Golden Knights to win medals.

The team of Sgt. 1st Class Elisa Tennyson, Sgt. 1st Class Angela Nichols, Staff Sgt. Laura Dickmeyer, Staff Sgt. Danielle Woolsey and Staff Sgt. Jennifer Schaben won a gold medal in women’s formation skydiving on July 21 at the 5th CISM Military World Games.

Team USA won the parachuting event with 197 points at Aeroporto Municipal de Resende.

France’s team of Deborah Ferrand Plat, Stephanie Texier, Laurence Herve, Ann-Lise Guillard and Blandine Perroud took the silver medal with 180 points. 

Host Brazil’s squadron of Lailla Surcin, Juliana Souza, Beatriz Ohno, Cassia Neves and Gabrielle Silva tallied 152 points for the bronze.

Team USA’s quartet of Sgt. 1st Class Brian Krause, Sgt. 1st Class Kurt Isenbarger, Sgt. 1st Class Matt Davidson and Staff Sgt. Sean Sweeney will compete in both the men ’s formation skydiving and team accuracy finals on July 22.

Military Team USA soccer players Air Force 2nd Lt. Rachel Emory (left) and Air Force

Capt. Brittney Perkowski battle Netherlands for possession of the

ball during Team USA's 1-0 victory July 20 at the 5th CISM Military World

Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. U.S. Army photo by Tim Hipps,

IMCOM Public Affairs

U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program distance runner Maj. Dan Browne leads
the way in the first semifinal heat of the men's 10,000 meter run at the 5th
CISM Military World Games on July 20 at Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil. Browne finished ninth with a time of 31 minutes, 7.16 seconds and
advanced to the final on July 21. U.S. Army photo by Tim Hipps,
IMCOM Public Affairs

Team USA follows Estonia in the parade of 109 nations around Olympic Stadium
during the Opening Ceremony for the Counseil International du Sport
Militaire's 5th Military World Games on July 16 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
U.S. Army photo by Tim Hipps, IMCOM Public Affairs

Military Team USA men's beach volleyball players Navy Sr. Chief John Goings
of Jacksonville, Fla., Air Force Tech Sgt. David Dean of Duke Field, Fla.,
Army Sgt. Gary Ang of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and Coast Guard Damage
Control 2nd Class Zachary Walden of Cape Maine, N.J., pose with Arion,
mascot of the 5th CISM Military World Games on Copacabana Beach in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil. Beach volleyball will be played daily throughout the Games,
scheduled for July 16-24. U.S. Army photo by Tim Hipps, IMCOM Public Affairs

Military Team USA women's soccer and track and field athletes get set to jet
from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., to Galeao Air Base in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, on July 13 to compete in the Counseil International du Sport
Militaire's 5th Military World Games, scheduled for July 16 through 24 in
Rio de Janeiro. On the far right end of the first row: Capt. Wendy Emminger
and 1st Lt. Mandi Messinger, U.S. military soccer players who piloted the
teams aboard a KC-10 Extender from MacDill to Rio. They were supported by a
flight crew from the 305th Air Mobility Wing at Joint Base
McGuire/Dix/Lakehurst, N.J.
U.S. Army photo by Tim Hipps, IMCOM Public Affairs

RIO de Jenario, Brazil - 12-25 July 2011

For highlight of World Games Parachuting Competition visit
http://armygk.com
For photos and comments from Armed Forces Athletes visit
www.facebook.com/TheAllArmySports and www.twitter.com/ArmyAthletes.

HIGHLIGHTS and UPDATES

Military Team USA soccer players pilot athletes to Brazil for CISM Games

By Tim Hipps
IMCOM Public Affairs

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Team USA’s No. 1 men’s beach volleyball squad defeated Lithuania, 2-0, in their opening match of the 5th CISM Military World Games on July 17 on Copacabana Beach.

Navy Senior Chief John Goings of Jacksonville, Fla., and Coast Guard Damage Control 2nd Class Zachary Walden of Cape Maine, N.J., prevailed by scores of 21-11 and 21-12 over Andrius Cesnauskas and Tomas Vievesis.

Walden delivered nine aces on his 28 service attempts and Goings converted 12 of his 15 attack attempts as the U.S. duo soared to victory in 38 minutes.

Walden, 26, a Coast Guard firefighter from Virginia Beach, Va., cherishes being a member of the U.S. Armed Forces’ inaugural CISM beach volleyball team.

“It’s huge to be in Rio, the epicenter of beach volleyball outside the U.S.,” Walden said. “It’s the experience of a lifetime and a career highlight already.”

Team USA No. 1 will play the other five countries in their group and the top two teams will advance to the medal rounds.

“I think we have a pretty solid chance” Walden said. “The U.S. and Brazil, internationally on the pro tours, are the premiere teams. That should carry down into our lower levels. We have a pretty good shot against the other countries.”

Air Force Tech Sgt. David Dean of Duke Air Field, Fla., and Army Sgt. Gary Ang of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, will compete as the No. 2 U.S. men’s team.

On the women’s side, Coast Guard Lt. Commander Kerry Karwan of Alameda, Calif., will team with Navy Lt. Commander Lauren Nilsen of Stuttgart, Germany, as the No. 1 U.S. duo.

Coast Guard Lt. Mary Arvidson of Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, and Air Force 1st Lt. Brooke Cultra of Ramstein, Germany, will compete as Team USA’s No. 2 squad.

Beach volleyball will be played every day on Copacabana Beach throughout the 5th CISM Military World Games.

“I would encourage anybody who reads this article, if they have an interest in any sport, check it out with your local command or MWR and get involved,” Walden said.

Militaire’s 5th Military World Games. Beach volleyball will be contested daily from July 17 through 24.
U.S. Army photo by Tim Hipps, IMCOM Public Affairs

Military Team USA soccer players pilot athletes to Brazil for CISM Games

By Tim Hipps
IMCOM Public Affairs

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Military Team USA soccer players Air Force Capt. Wendy Emminger and 1st Lt. Mandi Messinger piloted a KC-10 Extender load of teammates and track and field athletes from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., to Galeao Air Base on July 13 to compete in the 5th CISM Military World Games.

“It’s really rare that you get two people from the same base on a team, and then even more so two people from the same base that fly the same airplane,” said Emminger, who is stationed at Joint Base McGuire/Dix/Lakehurst, N.J. “The girls were kind of joking about it when we were in training camp back in March, like ‘Oh, you guys could fly us down there.’”

“At tryouts, we were joking around and saying, ‘Yeah, that would be so awesome if we could fly ourselves down there – it would be so much easier,” said Messinger, who at the time had no idea what the future would hold.

Emminger did some more brainstorming and decided “we could organize KC-10 to take everybody down. When I went back home, I started thinking about it a little more and I thought, actually, that’s a pretty good idea, a pretty neat opportunity – especially when I found out the track team was pre-training here.”

“It kind of got thrown around a little bit and Wendy suggested it to her boss and then the wheels started turning,” Messinger added. “Because of our ops-tempo right now, the only thing that surprises me is that they could find a tail [plane].”

Army Capt. Chrissy Acojedo of Presidio of Monterey, Calif., is a four-time All-Armed Forces soccer player making her second CISM Military World Games appearance. She could not believe that her pilot teammates’ dream came true.

“I thought it was hilarious at first,” Acojedo said. “But I don’t think a whole lot of teams have people who can fly a plane, so I think it’s awesome. Both of them are fantastic pilots, from what I hear. I clearly am in the Army and don’t know anything about flying a plane. It’s awesome that they’re getting this opportunity to take us down to Brazil. I think both the military and the teams here can benefit.”

Emminger said she has logged more flights in the aircraft during the past seven years than she can remember – somewhere in the vicinity of 300 journeys – but she must stay current on international flights.

“It works out because it’s a training mission,” Emminger said. “I fly in what’s called the FTU – I teach the new people how to fly the KC-10, but I still have to get an overseas takeoff and landing – so landing in Brazil actually helps my currency.

“I really give a shout out to my base, our wing leadership. I told them my plan, what I envisioned and what I wanted, and they were like, ‘Yeah, that sounds like a great opportunity, a great idea.’ They supplied the plane and were on board with us pushing forward.”

The 305th Air Mobility Wing at McGuire/Dix/Lakehurst provided a flight crew that allowed Emminger and Messinger to take breaks from the cockpit during the 9 ½-hour flight – even for long enough to play cards with some of their teammates.

The crew also kept the passengers comfortable with amenities from commercial airlines past, such as pillows and blankets. Athletes were allowed to inflate air mattresses and sleep on the deck, move freely about the cabin, eat, drink and be happy throughout the comfortable overseas flight aboard U.S. Air Force.

Emminger and Messinger appeared to be the happiest of the bunch as they played host to a parade of curious athletes who were allowed short visits to the cockpit.

Navy Lt. jg CiAnna Weikle of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash., is a 2009 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who helped the Midshipmen reach the second round of the 2007 NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship Tournament – their finest season in school history.

“No other team has pilots that are taking them to a tournament,” said Weikle, 24, a native of Lakeville, Minn. “What a cool opportunity to tie that into the soccer matches.”

Emminger, 30, a native of Chandler, Ariz., served as a captain for the U.S. Air Force Academy women’s soccer team as a center midfielder from 1999 through 2003. She since has become a six-time All-Armed Forces performer on the pitch and deployed six times to undisclosed locations in southwest Asia.

Messinger, 25, a native of Longmont, Colo., played one year of soccer at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs before switching to women’s rugby for the next three.

“I haven’t played soccer in like five years,” Messinger said. “I’m probably more excited just to get down there and play. It will be pretty awesome to fly into Brazil. Landing on a brand new field is always exciting, and we don’t have a lot of opportunities to go to South America.”

Emminger cherishes CISM competitions against foreign military competitors.

“Honestly, I most enjoy the friendships you make with the other countries,” she said. “I try to network as much as I can. In fact, I’ve gone and visited friends from The Netherlands who I’ve met through CISM. They showed me around their country and their Dutch Military Academy – things I wouldn’t get to do had I not met these people through CISM.

“And, obviously, reuniting with people from college and getting back together – that’s always fun.”

And, of course, there is soccer to be played.

“I think we have a good team this year,” Emminger said. “We have a lot of returning players. That always helps. That’s one of the challenges we always have: bringing back people and having continuity in the team. This year, we have a lot of returners and a few new additions that are really going to help us out.”

Military Team USA traditionally faces CISM opponents that are loaded with national team players from other countries, including many former and current FIFA Women’s World Cup performers.

“It brings our level up, knowing that we’re playing against national team players,” Emminger said. “I kind of enjoy it.”

Messinger, on the other hand, does not know what to expect in her first CISM experience.

“I’m just going in with an open mind,” she said. “I’ve heard really good things from the rest of the girls about how fun it is to play against other military world teams and how competition forges bonds with everybody. And then just getting out there and playing soccer again – it’s been awhile for me.”

Flying around the world, on the other foot, is old hat for these two military soccer stars.

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