FORT BUCHANAN, PUERTO RICO— Soldiers and Marines gathered at the Antilles High School field, on Nov. 27 to participate in the traditional Fort Buchanan Turkey Bowl Flag Football game, which is part of the installation’s Thanksgiving celebrations to sustain and enable service members’ morale and readiness.
“The football game is a traditional event in most services. We had the opportunity here at Fort Buchanan to play against the Marine Corps. It is fun to compete with our fellow services, but what is more important is that we can engage in something competitive and showcase the talent that we have, athletically,” said Sgt. Maj. Rubén A. Picón, 1st Mission Support Command Operations Sergeant Major.
1st Lt. Adrian Marin-Torres, also from the 1st Mission Support Command, played in representation of the Army team.
“The flag football game was a tremendous event where you have two different services coming together and just having fun, building a friendly rivalry. I’m glad that we were able to keep that tradition here in Fort Buchanan,” said Marin-Torres.
After a grueling game, the Marines won the Turkey Bowl match.
“I think that here you need to practice what you are supposed to do in combat. In this scenario, we need to win a football game, so we have been practicing since September. The practice allowed us to improve our game and play as one cohesive team, knowing exactly what we were going to do and how to execute and ultimately find a victory,” said Sgt. Isaí Estupiñán, senior enlisted at the Landing Support Company/Combat Logistic Regiment 45.
American football is one of the many traditions in American culture associated with Thanksgiving Day. Virtually every level of football, from amateur and high school to college and the National Football League, plays football around Thanksgiving Day.
With an annual investment in the local economy of over $500 million, Fort Buchanan serves a diverse military community of approximately 15,000 active-duty Reserve, National Guard, Marine Corps Reserve, and Navy Reserve personnel. Fort Buchanan’s mission is to serve as a readiness enhancement platform and facilitate the deployment of military personnel to any place at any time.