NMSC, NECE and NDSL enjoy day in the sun

This year's picnic featured slow-grilled cooking, the opportunity for inter-command socializing, and some friendly competition for the coveted annual physical challenge trophy.

Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) committees from the three commands coordinated their efforts to organize the event. They set up tents, tables and chairs, arranged for a disc-jockey, and coordinated a competitive sporting tournament. The three commands competed in horse shoes, a basketball free-throw shoot-out, a volleyball tournament, and a sack race.

Leabone 'Lee' Williams with NDSL, started things off by slow cooking meat for the picnic early in the morning.

"Today we had Lee's special barbeque ribs, some barbeque chicken, steaks, hot dogs and fried fish," explained Williams, a Navy veteran. "I cooked in the Navy for 23 years, so this is first nature to me."

Navy Drug Screen Laboratory Jacksonville and Navy Entomology Center of Excellence personnel make their dining selection from the food line at the tri-command picnic.

Homemade potato salad, pasta salad and chocolate-chip cookies were among the many dishes brought to the potluck-style picnic.

As the feasting slowed, the tournament began with the first competition - the horseshoe event. Lt. j. g. Bryan Heintschel won the competition for Team NECE.

After horseshoes, the basketball free-throw shoot-out competition began. The first two rounds eliminated all but two contestants. Team NMSC's Lt. Rodney Robinson faced off against Team NDSL's Larue Perkins in the third round for the best of five attempts. Perkins won, sinking all five attempts.

Next was the volleyball event. NMSC came back from an 11-5 deficit to beat Team NECE and move on to the final round against Team NDSL. Though Team NMSC had just finished their previous game, they showed perseverance to beat Team NDSL and win their first competition for the day.

The final event was the six-man relay sack race. Team NMSC took an early lead and held onto it to win their second competition in the tournament, and the trophy.

Team Navy Medicine Support Command proudly displays the annual physical challenge trophy after the events.

Team Navy Medicine Support Command's HM2(FMF) Peter Fantini tosses a horseshoe during the second round horseshoe tournament held at the tri-command picnic.

Larue Perkins from Team Navy Drug Screening Lab (NDSL), sinks one of many baskets during the free-throw shoot-out competition at the annual tri-command picnic. Perkins won the event for Team NDSL by sinking five of five attempts in a sudden-death third round.

Navy Medicine Support Command's (NMSC) Chief of Staff William Lorenzen (left) accepts the annual physical challenge trophy on behalf of Team NMSC. Presenting the trophy was NMSC's command master chief, HMCM(SW) Enrique Cruz.