Surface Line Week (SLW) 2017 closed Saturday with the Surface Warrior Ball, the culminating event of five-days of friendly completion held at various locations in the area.

Surface Line Week (SLW) is an annual competition hosted by commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic (CNSL) for all CNSL local, tenant commands. Each year, Sailors, Marines, and Department of the Navy civilian employees from the Hampton Roads area come together as a surface force to strengthen our warrior spirit within the community and along the waterfront.

SLW 2017 featured approximately 3,000 participants from area commands competing in 31 different events designed to showcase the athletic and professional skills of the surface force, while building camaraderie.

Each of the events fell into one of five categories: athletic ability, professional ability, quality of service, recreation and toughness. In following with the Navy's core attributes this year's competition placed special emphasis on toughness and the need for tough Sailors.

Sailors tested their ability to survive adversity through Damage Control efforts, as Rescue Swimmers, and in their physical fitness. The toughness category was also evident in this year's event theme: remembering the 75th anniversary of the Guadalcanal Campaign and honoring the courage, sacrifice, heroism and teamwork of the Sailors and Marines who fought there.

This theme served at inspiration for the creation of Boatswain's Mate 1st Class Reinhardt Keppler Toughness Award, presented to the commands with the highest combined scores in the toughness category. Keppler received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Guadalcanal Campaign.

"Surface Line Week and the Warrior Ball are so important because it celebrates the surface force as a warfighting community and strengthens the warrior spirit within each Sailor and the force," said Rear Adm. Jesse Wilson, Jr., commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic.

"This year we honor the warrior spirit of the Sailors and Marines who fought during the Guadalcanal Campaign. It was their heroism and sacrifice that won the campaign against a tenacious enemy resistance by land and sea, and it is their toughness that we strive to emulate and even surpass."

This year's event featured athletic tournaments and events such as basketball, volleyball, soccer, and track and field; and professional skills challenges such as damage control Olympics, bos'n Olympics, and various culinary competitions.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) proved their toughness, winning four out of the seven events in the toughness category. However, it was USS Gonzalez (DDG 66) who ran away with the overall competition in the medium category. Gonzalez was followed by Winston S. Churchill and USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51). The Sailors of USS Cole (DDG 67) also made a strong showing, having just returned from a seven-month deployment earlier this month.

"In addition to the traditional events, we added several new competitions this year, including the USS Buttercup wet trainer challenge, ping pong tournament, Mortal Kombat X video game tournament and a short film festival," said Lt. Cmdr. Richard Jimenez, SLW 2017 coordinator. "These new events support CNSL promotion of Sailors' Fitness, Identity and Belonging."

In the small and large categories, the competition was much closer. An exceptional performance in the 5K Race pushed Expeditionary Strike Group TWO to claim the title of tough Sailors in the small category. However, Amphibious Construction Battalion TWO was able to edge them out in the overall competition. Assault Craft Unit TWO came in third. After a week-long tie in the large category, Assault Craft Unit FOUR edged out the amphibious transport dock USS San Antonio (LPD 17) for first. San Antonio received the Keppler Toughness Award and USS Arlington (LPD 24) came in third.

"[SLW] has something for everyone," said Jimenez. "It is a great way to celebrate our surface warrior culture, and the talent of the Sailors and Marines of the Surface Navy."

For more information about SLW or to see pictures from the competition, visit www.facebook.com.SLWEast.

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