with a plan , took care of their own , executed , and the Commander ’ s Cup was born .
On Field Exploits
The tournament moved really quickly with only four teams , but the competition was fierce with a lot of back and forth . The Marines flattened Air Force in the first round winning 5-2 . The Navy prevailed in their firstround dogfight with Army . It was expected the Marines to win , but the Navy was a massive underdog to the powerhouse stacked Army roster . No one seen the Navy coming ! It set the stage for a Marines vs . Navy showdown .
The highlight of the event probably came in the finals when Zach Tripp racked up a 5-pack on the Sailors .
“ We were down 5-2 at this point and just flat . That play reinvigorated us ,” Rangel said . “ That was the turning point that brought the Marine ’ s back for a win .” “ We just couldn ’ t stop moving forward , everyone dug deep to get the Marines back into the fight and eventually tied up the match ”.
In the end , the Marines did take home the inaugural Commander ’ s Cup trophy , winning over Navy 6-5 .
But the real accomplishment according to Rangel was what happened off of the field . “ It was just great to see everyone involved ,” he said . “ It wasn ’ t even about who won , it was about being together .”
In The Pits and Trenches
For Rangel , the purpose of the Commander ’ s Cup was two-fold : to provide a showcase for veteran players , and to bring awareness to the support community that they have built .
As is always the case , you find out how well the event went from the pits . The trash-talk and banter off field both signals and often sets . According to Rangel , the vibe this year was excellent .
To that point , he only had one clean anecdote to share . Each of the branches had their own approach to practice and organizing . There was a running gag amongst the militia players that Air Force guys were probably coordinating on Zoom . Turns out , Air Force did have a Zoom meeting which provided boundless fuel for taunting .
“ The trash talk is always the best part ,” Rangel said . It is where collective memories are formed and bonds are truly forged .
That bond was what fuels the passion for Rangel . Spawned from his passion project UNDRPRVLGD , the Veteran Militia has become more than just a paintball team - it ’ s a support network . Members often organize themselves for activities including fishing , trekking , and shooting sports . But , as Rangel says , paintball is just one catalyst for unifying the troops .
He calls Veteran Militia “ a transition space ” for a lot of vets .
“ I came out of the military with years of experience , so I had skills to fall back on when I was ready to move forward . A lot of veterans sign up , do a four-year stint or whatever and leave . When they come out , they don ’ t really know how to re-engage with the system . This affects everyone differently .” Rangel said . “ Our goal is to provide them a space where they can learn how to de-stress on their own . Talk to other service members , chat , and just have a communal feeling again . That really is what most guys are missing is the comradery .
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