THE FINISH LINE: Participants in the 2015 Commanding Officer and Command Master Chief Obstacle Course Challenge take a moment to share experiences at the end of the race. The five teams were: Capt. Heidi Fleming, commander, and Senior Chief Eugene Truitt from NAS Patuxent River; Capt. Eric Washington, commander and military personnel directorate/operational support officer, and CMC Shaun Brahmstead from Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIRSYSCOM); Cmdr. Timothy Burke, commander, and CMC Jacob Bristow from HX-21; and Cmdr. John Buser, commander, and Senior Chief Enrique Gutierrez from the Scientific Development Squadron One (VXS-1).

COMFRC captures canoe challenge championship

Archived Body

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, Patuxent River, Md. -- Commanding officers  and command master chiefs (CMCs) from across Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River gathered at the West Basin Marina here on Oct. 14 for a friendly canoeing competition.

The team from Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers (COMFRC) took home the win in the second annual Commander and Commander Master Chief Obstacle Course Challenge. The race was held as part of the celebration of the U.S. Navy’s 240th birthday.

Bragging rights and a trophy were at stake as the five teams began the quarter-mile course, wending their way around pylons to get to the finish line. The real challenge was having to paddle and steer since the competitors sat face-to-face in the canoes.

Coming back from a watery start and crossing the finish line with a time of five minutes and 32 seconds, the COMFRC team, Rear Adm. Paul Sohl, commander, and Command Master Chief Timothy McKinley left the other teams in their wake, but were unable to break the course record of four minutes and 49 seconds set by the champions from last year’s inaugural race, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (HX-21).

All teams finished the race, though some were more drenched than others.

The event was supported by employees from Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) and the NAS Patuxent River Fire Department.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: The team from Command, Fleet Readiness Centers (COMFRC), receive the trophy for the 2015 Commanding Officer and Command Master Chief Obstacle Course Challenge from Capt. Heidi Fleming, Naval Air Station Patuxent River commander. The team members were Rear Adm. Paul Sohl, COMFRC and assistant commander Naval Air Systems Command Logistics and Industrial Operations (AIR 6.0)(left), and Command Master Chief Timothy McKinley (center).