ROSE BARRACKS, Germany — Soldiers and civilians came together to celebrate a night of professional football together Feb. 9 at the Warrior Zone at Rose Barracks.
An estimated 150 community members joined the event to watch the Super Bowl at U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria, their new home away from home.
“It’s really important for events to be done for our Soldiers because when they don’t have an escape or someplace to go, they just stay in their rooms,” said Colleen Dekkinga, business manager at the Warrior Zone. “Here, you kind of kick back and you get to just be yourself a little bit.”
The event not only gave community members the opportunity to enjoy part of American culture in Germany but also offered activities like karaoke, ping pong challenges, and football throwing contests.
“Tonight was a little bit different,” Dekkinga said. “We teamed up and had our Warrior Zone open along with the Zone Bar and our Zone Café. We were serving food, giving away free pool, and had activities where Soldiers could play Madden, Xbox, or PlayStation. It was actually really neat.”
Army Community Service and Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation supported the event with volunteers and prizes.
“Morale is number one not just for the Soldiers, but for their Family members, and even for my employees,” Dekkinga said. “Something like this is hard work, but everybody really enjoyed it and put in 110%, and that builds morale. Our Soldiers coming in and being happy, having a good time means honestly it was almost like hanging out with some friends, even for the employees.
“You get to see people come out together, and maybe for the first time, they don’t always agree, but they figure out a way to have fun,” Dekkinga continued. “That’s the whole part about being in the military. You meet all different kinds of people that may not always see eye to eye, but you can still get together, and you can have a good time and you can enjoy a football game.”
Dekkinga added that some of the attendees, in addition enjoying a bit of Americana, learned about the services and facilities of the Warrior Zone for the first time.
“To the Soldiers, it gives a little piece of home,” said Bernard Kinzell, a participant and Army veteran. “Although Soldiers are away from their respective cities and states, they’re able to come together, watch the game, and enjoy as one.”
Otis Brewer, another participant, echoed this sentiment:
“Honestly, my experience today was actually kind of intriguing. My team wasn’t even there, so I was kind of hurt. But it brings memories, so I felt like that was good. And it brings them (the community members) together.”
Even the military police chief and some MPs made an appearance, checking in on the Soldiers and ensuring everything was running smoothly.
“This is huge for Soldiers, some of them are just coming over here from living in the states their whole life and moving to Germany,” said Patrick Daughtry, chief of police. “This kind of helps bring them back to their time in the states, giving them a sense of being home.”
During the big game night, the military police together with the Department of the Army civilian police officers worked together to ensure a safe environment for the event.
“I am a big fan of that community policing,” said Daughtry. “It’s good for police and the community. You know, our police officers, our MPs, and our Department of the Army civilian police officers are part of the community that we serve.”