JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
Sailors from the Navy Medicine Training Support Command, Defense Health Agency and Navy Medicine Education, Training and Logistics Command competed in a cardboard boat race at the Medicine Education Training Campus pool May 24.
The race consisted of boats made of cardboard and duct tape; the race consisted of two complete legs of the pool and a basic example of seamanship by tying a clove hitch knot.
The event was part of Sailor 360, a Navy initiative to develop innovative and creative command-developed leadership programs.
“The idea behind the boat race was originally designed to build camaraderie, teamwork and allow junior Sailors a chance to utilize their creative ideas to achieve a common goal,” said Chief Petty Officer Timothy Soukup, an instructor at Navy Medicine Training Support Command, or NMTSC, and event lead. “Events like this highlight these important characteristics in a fun and positive environment.”
Teamwork was an import part of the competition and is a fundamental cornerstone of the Sailor 360 event.
“Events like this build teamwork that everyone is able to bring something to the table, discuss the ideas and collectively produce a final product,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Cruz, assigned to Academic Support Division of Defense Health Agency , or DHA, and a member of the winning team. “We are spread out in the San Antonio area, and events like this allow us to come together.”
This is one of many events that have been held throughout the year to build upon these fundamentals.
“So far we have done a dodge ball competition to incorporate some athletic competition, then we did MIF feud -- like Family Feud -- to incorporate cognitive and military trivia to capture the strengths of each team,” Soukup said. “We have received some very good feedback regarding this year’s Sailor 360 competition events and hopefully it will grow from there.”