Approximately 3,000 participants from 39 area commands competed in 34 Surface Line Week events during the week following Memorial Day to showcase their technical, tactical and athletic skills.

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 to compete and build camaraderie within the community and along the waterfront.

This year's event featured athletic tournaments such as basketball, volleyball, and soccer, as well as professional skills challenges such as damage control olympics, boatswain olympics, and various culinary competitions.

Several new offerings, including a cardboard boat regatta and a kinetic weapon contest, were added for SLW 2016. In the cardboard boat regatta, teams designed and built boats using only cardboard and approved fastening materials. On June 1, the boats were put into the water and raced to complete a length of a swimming pool. While some of the boats began taking on water immediately, others proved to not only be structurally sound, but capable of quickly cutting through the water.

For the kinetic weapon contest, teams designed and built weapons powered solely by kinetic energy, such as catapults, trebuchets, and onagers. The weapons were tested for distance and accuracy when throwing a 5 lb. weight.

While most teams opted for a trebuchet-style weapon, the team from USS McFaul (DDG 74), led by Ensign Michael Kaim, designed and built an onager -- a weapon developed by the Roman Empire.

"Instead of having a large counterweight like the trebuchets, an onager -- which is Roman for donkey because it kicks with a lot of force -- uses torsion force, kind of like a spring," explained Kaim. "It works great, when it works. With a little more time I think we could have refined it more, but I think we have the best design."

Cmdr. Joseph Bromley, commanding officer of McFaul, attended the contest and was impressed with the weapon his Sailors built.

"During the past few weeks, I've seen it in various states of construction," said Bromley. "It's been a lot of fun and a great team building activity."

Ultimately, McFaul's onager came in second, behind a trebuchet built by USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) Sailors in the medium command category.

Cmdr. Thomas Myers, commanding officer of USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51), joined his Sailors during the tug-of-war contest.

"Every now and then we need events like Surface Line Week, where we can take a break from work, relax, and have some fun," Myers. "Not only does this give us a chance to build camaraderie, but it's a great opportunity to see friends from previous commands."

The camaraderie between participants was clearly evident, even to spectators.

"I miss the camaraderie of my shipmates," said Vietnam War veteran Mike Okuley. "But it's nice to see it here, from the folks participating. I have a new appreciation for the recognition being given to those of us that never got that support."

Okuley was among a group of Vietnam veterans invited to attend SLW as part of CNSL's ongoing efforts to honor and commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. Highlighting CNSL's position as a Vietnam War 50th Commemoration Partner, the theme of SLW 2016 was "Service, Valor, Sacrifice - A Grateful Navy Thanks and Honors our Vietnam Veterans." The event included various tributes to Navy heritage throughout the week.

"It was an honor to be invited to Surface Line Week," said retired Command Master Chief Steven Braunchausen, who served as a boiler technician during the Vietnam War. "It's a much bigger event than I was expecting. It's an absolute honor to be here."

When the points were tallied from each event at the end of the week, CNSL, USS McFaul and USNS Lewis B. Puller (T-ESB 3) came out on top in the three different size categories -- large, medium, and small, respectively. For the small command category, Assault Craft Unit 2 and Expeditionary Strike Group 2 came in second and third. For the medium command category, USS Mitscher (DDG 57) came in second, and USS Forrest Sherman came in third. In the large command category, Assault Craft Unit 4 came in second, followed by Mid-Atlantic Region Maintenance Center.

With ideas and suggestions already coming in for next year, SLW 2017 promises to be even bigger and better.

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