Press Release
☷229th MI Bn builds esprit de corps with second annual Griffin Games
U.S. Army ( By Press Release office)
Apr 29,2022
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0 A Soldier assigned to the 229th Military Intelligence Battalion participates in a dodgeball tournament during the battalion ' s second annual Griffin Games at the Presidio of Monterey , Calif . , April 22 . 0 Soldiers assigned to the 229th Military Intelligence Battalion flip a large tire across a field during the battalion ' s second annual Griffin Games at the Presidio of Monterey , Calif . , April 22 . 0 Soldiers assigned to the 229th Military Intelligence Battalion cheer on competing Soldiers during the battalion ' s second annual Griffin Games at the Presidio of Monterey , Calif . , April 22 . 0 Soldiers assigned to the 229th Military Intelligence Battalion compete in a ruck march during the battalion ' s second annual Griffin Games at the Presidio of Monterey , Calif . , April 22 . 0 Soldiers assigned to the 229th Military Intelligence Battalion compete in a ruck march during the battalion ' s second annual Griffin Games at the Presidio of Monterey , Calif . , April 22 . 0 Soldiers assigned to the 229th Military Intelligence Battalion congratulate a Soldier for helping their company win a dodgeball match during the battalion ' s second annual Griffin Games at the Presidio of Monterey , Calif . , April 22 . 0 Command Sgt . Maj . Lourdes Barragan , senior enlisted advisor of the 229th Military Intelligence Battalion , welcomes Soldiers to the second annual Griffin Games at the Presidio of Monterey , Calif . , April 22 . 0 Soldiers assigned to the 229th Military Intelligence Battalion compete in the battalion ' s second annual Griffin Games at the Presidio of Monterey , Calif . , April 22 . 0 A Soldier assigned to the 229th Military Intelligence Battalion competes in the Army Combat Fitness Test portion of the battalion ' s second annual Griffin Games at the Presidio of Monterey , Calif . , April 22 . 0 Soldiers assigned to the 229th Military Intelligence Battalion compete in a pugil - stick fight during the battalion ' s second annual Griffin Games at the Presidio of Monterey , Calif . , April 22 . PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY , Calif . ( April 28 , 2022 ) – The 229th Military Intelligence Battalion’s second annual Griffin Games served as a friendly competition that built esprit de corps , resiliency and readiness among Soldiers . “This event is for all of you , ” said Command Sgt . Maj . Lourdes Barragan , the battalion’s senior enlisted advisor , to the approximately 1 , 500 Soldiers on the Presidio of Monterey’s Price Fitness Center field at the kickoff April 22 . “Thank you for all that you do every single day to be successful , not only within your schoolhouses , but also for our Army , ” Barragan told the Soldiers . “We can’t do what we do , and we can’t be the great Army that we are , without each and every one of you . ” Most Soldiers assigned to the battalion are language students at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center , and they competed in teams by company in challenges that included the Army Combat Fitness Test , a ruck march , pugil stick fights , a dodgeball tournament , a variety of games and much more . Company C took the top honors . The event focused on competition to reinforce resiliency and mental toughness , said Sgt . 1st Class Aaron Reynolds , the noncommissioned officer in charge of the games . “The fight or the victory starts and ends in the mind , ” Reynolds said . “It’s a mindset . Victory really starts and ends in the mind , and so we put them against each other to compete and remind them of that mental toughness , that mental agility , to understand that they can overcome , physically , any challenge . ” Battalion leaders want Soldiers to know that defeat does not mean defeat until you accept it , Reynold said . “If you’re able to bounce back from whatever challenge or whatever setback , you’re not defeated , ” Reynolds said . “So we put that competition aspect to be able to challenge them mentally so they understand where the fight really is , it’s in the mind . That’s where it starts and that’s where it ends . ” Learning to overcome challenges is important not only for Soldiers in the schoolhouse , but it’s the mindset they’ll need in the future when they are serving in a unit or deployed , Reynolds said . Soldiers , meanwhile , said they enjoyed the event . While not all Soldiers were able to sign up for the teams that competed , those who did not compete cheered on members of their companies . Spc . Seth Gilbert , assigned to Company B , competed for his team in the ACFT for the second year in a row . “It’s definitely fun , ” Gilbert said . “It gives us some time to get out of the class and come and enjoy each other’s company . ” Pvt . Noah Witt , assigned to Company C , said he thought the event was great and could not be more proud of the Soldiers in his company who competed for the trophy . “Everyone worked really hard , and I see the effort that a lot of these guys put into [physical training] , ” Witt said . “We wake up early in the morning and it can get kind of disheartening sometimes just because we’re tired and we work hard , but seeing everyone come out with a positive attitude is awesome . ” In addition , PoM Army Community Service and the USO of Northern California helped support the event . Amy Eilcs , USO senior center and operations and programs manager , said the organization provided hot coffee and snacks to keep the Soldiers going and boost their morale . “We know how hard they work all the time and it’s good to see them be able to take a day and get together as a community , ” Eilcs said . “We’re here to help support that and make sure that they feel supported by not only the USO , but the American people that support the USO . ” Meanwhile , Nathaniel Pleasantbey of ACS said the organization had donated water , candy and socks on hand for the Soldiers and staff members on hand to talk about ACS programs . “[The Griffin Games] build a healthy competitiveness between the young Soldiers and gives them a chance to get away from the books and get out here and get into the physicality of their commitment to serve our country , and so we’re honored to be a part of that and help uplift their spirits and keep that positive energy going , ” Pleasantbey said . Reynolds said he thanks ACS , the USO , the Monterey Police Department , the PoM police and fire departments , as well as other sponsors , for their support , contributions and effort .
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