HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Three company grade officers here competed in the 2023 Armed Forces Men’s Soccer Championship tournament hosted at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, April 5 to 11.
Second Lieutenants Jared Dove, Mikey Neacsu, and Maxwell Sole, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center program managers here, members of the Department of the Air Force team, competed against teams from the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and Navy (including Coast Guard).
The Armed Forces Sports program boasts the culmination of each military branch’s sports and fitness programs and allows service members to train and compete from unit levels to all-service levels in national and international events.
“Being able to represent the Air Force in this way, at this level, was an amazing moment,” said Neacsu, a program manager for the Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence and Networks Battlefield Airborne Communication Node.
Sole, a C3I&N Enterprise Services program manager, said the acquisition officers were also teammates on the U.S. Air Force Academy’s varsity soccer team.
After arriving to Hanscom within a year of each other, the trio couldn’t pass up the chance to apply for the two-week training camp and tryouts before making the 18-man roster. The team is comprised of officers and enlisted members across the Air and Space Forces.
“I learned a lot about the operational Air Force and connections with members in different levels of life and career,” said Dove, Kessel Run program manager in the Digital Directorate.
Despite their overall defeat, the Air Force players are looking forward to future opportunities to represent their service.
“We all agree we had a great team and we played well,” said Dove. "Soccer can be a cruel game, but we’ll be ready next year.”
Neacsu said regardless of an athlete’s sport or skill level, he recommends Airmen and Guardians look into competing at the service level or at the base level.
“Chances are there’s an opportunity for you to participate in a sport you love,” he said.
For a complete list of programs available through the Armed Forces Sports Program and information on how to apply, visit armedforcessports.defense.gov/Sports/.
To learn about intramural offerings at Hanscom AFB, visit the 66th Force Support Squadron’s Fitness and Sports Center.