Air Force: Sportsmanship, competition strengthens partnership

Airmen of the Cameroon air force at Aerienne 301 de Garoua hosted Soldiers from 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division for a soccer match here April 9recently.

Cameroon air force Col. Barthelemy T’Silla, commander of Base Aerienne 301 de Garoua, spoke to both teams and set the tone of friendly competition before the match. “Today we meet as opponents on the soccer field,” T’Silla said. “But we also stand together as brothers.”

The teams exchanged warm greetings midfield before the match. The Cameroon airmen presented the 2nd IBCT troops with small Cameroon flags as a token of thanks and a symbol of good sportsmanship.

Saturday’s international soccer match was set on a flat patch of rust-colored dirt between the U.S. facilities and the Cameroon air force’s operational area. The playing field was marked per internationally-accepted rules with chalked lines and nets lining the goals.

The 2IBCT troops and Cameroon airmen held a tie for most of the first half, until an offensive run by the host nation team proved successful, bringing the Cameroon airmen to a 1-0 lead.

At halftime, the 2IBCT team rehydrated and made a few lineup changes in an attempt to stage a second-half comeback.

Despite a tenacious effort by the 2IBCT team the Cameroon airmen gained two goals early in the second half, bringing their lead to 3-0.

The game ended with a Cameroonian victory, but the sporting event was an opportunity for both teams to build a stronger sense of brotherhood and strengthen their partnership.

The players congratulated one another and gathered at midfield for T’Silla’s closing remarks.

“This time we showed our American friends how to play soccer, but next, the Americans will show us how to play American football!” exclaimed T’Silla.

Soldiers from 2nd IBCT provide non-lethal support to their Cameroonian hosts as part of U.S. Africa Command. At the request of the government of Cameroon, U.S. troops are providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assistance via unmanned aerial systems to assist Cameroon in defeating violent extremists.