Dartmouth Rugby Adopts Army Unit Serving in Afghanistan

Hanover, NH - Dartmouth Rugby has adopted Delta Troop of 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry, currently deployed to Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan. The team recently shipped care packages to the unit, hoping to bring some holiday cheer to the troops. Players raised several hundred dollars to create and send the packages, which included candy, snacks, DVDs, batteries, magazines, and baby wipes. A Dartmouth match jersey, a ball signed by the team, and a team photo taken in front of the beautiful Corey Ford Rugby Clubhouse were also shipped overseas.

Delta Troop serves as a multi-functional support unit of the 1-75 Cavalry Regiment, attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team and the famous 101st Airborne Division. Commanded by Captain Charles Lawrence, the “Deathdealers” provide around-the-clock support to soldiers engaged in combat operations in Kandahar. Their mission includes the movement of equipment and supplies on the battlefield, the maintenance and repair of the squadron's equipment, and the feeding of over 1,400 soldiers. They recently prepared over 6,000 Thanksgiving dinners for the BCT that drew rave reviews from battalion leadership.

Jack Boger ’13 and John Kordahl ’12 spearheaded the team’s adoption efforts. Both players have military connections, as Kordahl’s brother, James ‘10, was recently commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps, and Boger took his first step towards the same goal with a summer spent at Marine Corps Officer Candidates School in Quantico, VA. They were also inspired by the service of their teammates, as the current DRFC roster boasts several veterans, including Michael Burbank ’12 and Julian Sarkar ’13, both Marines; as well as that of recent DRFC alumni Dan Brown ’03, Matt McKnight ’05, Colin Barry ’06, Marines, and Kevin Reavey ’02 and Jon Vaccaro ’06, Army.

The adoption was undertaken through the Americans Supporting Americans ‘Adopt-a-Unit’ program, which matches teams, cities, and organizations with military units deployed overseas. Americans Supporting Americans, or ASA, was founded by Linda Patterson, the sister of a Vietnam veteran who was killed in action. Patterson was inspired by her brother’s service and convinced the city of San Mateo, California to “adopt” her brother’s unit. Today, ASA continues its tradition of “building morale as high as the clouds” for deployed service members.

Dartmouth rugby recently secured its fourth consecutive Ivy League title in clinical fashion, outscoring opponents 436-35. Focus now shifts to preparing for the inaugural Premier League season, which will kick off this spring. Dartmouth enters Premier League play ranked 8th in the country.

The team hopes to stay in touch with the troopers through emails and letters.

With the unit halfway through their deployment, the DRFC proudly looks forward to continuing its support in the months to come.

If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview, please call Charlie Grant at (978) 857-2851 or e‐mail Charlie at charlie [dot] grantdartmouth [dot] edu