The amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima's (LHD 7) Second Class Petty Officers Association (SCPOA) hosted a command softball tournament May 5 to build command camaraderie through friendly competition.

Four ship teams - the SCPOA, the First Class Petty Officers Association (FCPOA), the Chief Petty Officer Association (CPOA), and the Wardroom - took to the diamond in front of their shipmates and family members.

After the last pitch was thrown, the same team that executed the event took home the championship. The SCPOA defeated the CPOA 29-22, and then won the championship over the Wardroom by a score of 24-4.

Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class Michael Cundiff, SCPOA member and director of the tournament, said support from the upper chain of command made the event not only possible, but a big success.

"I think it went really well," said Cundiff. "We had a lot of support from the command. All the associations, and the Wardroom came together for this and everyone had a great time."

Captain James Midkiff, commanding officer of Iwo Jima, said it was inspiring to see young leaders stepping up to the plate and putting on a well-organized event for their shipmates and families.

"I am so proud of the SCPOA for putting together an event such as this one that brings the entire ship out for a day of fun," said Midkiff. "Events like this really help bring the command together as a unit."

"We'd love to turn this into an annual or even semi-annual event," said Cundiff. "I'd like to get groups like the Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions involved, so the third class petty officers and seaman have a team and can participate too."

Iwo Jima is currently undergoing a scheduled continued maintenance availability at her homeport of Mayport, Fla.



For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy.


For more news from USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), visit www.navy.mil/.