GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The military allows for many different opportunities to travel and meet new people. Staff Sgt. Brittany Burgin, 17th Civil Engineering Squadron Airman dorm leader, experienced this when she was chosen as one of the 15 members from across the Air Force to play for the World Sports League Air Force softball team.
“She was on the fence, whether she would make the team or not,” said 17th CES Chief of Unaccompanied Housing Amanda Cardwell. “I told her, ‘you’re going to kick butt.’”
Burgin put in her application and was selected to attend a five-day training camp in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The camp consisted of scrimmages and practices three times a day. Here she was selected to play for the Air Force team.
As the only member from Goodfellow to make the Air Force Armed Forces team in recent years, Burgin’s squadron could not be happier for her.
“I was so unbelievably proud of her,” said Cardwell. “It’s a pleasure to have such a great athlete and [noncommissioned officer] on our team here.”
Far from Goodfellow, Burgin and the rest of the team traveled to their first tournament in Panama City, Florida, before competing in the Armed Forces Tournament in Pensacola, Florida.
“Coming together as a team, making new friends, the bond that we share, I think we were super close from day one to the last day,” said Burgin.
The Armed Forces Tournament lasted six days with multiple branches competing to take home the gold. In the end, it came down to Team Air Force versus Team Army.
Air Force won the first game against Army and lost the second. The matches were tied. The final game would determine which team would win the tournament.
“It came down to the last game, we played the Army,” said Burgin. “Our record was six and two. The Army was winning the whole game until the bottom of the seventh [inning]…”
Hoping to make a comeback, Team Air Force was last up to bat. Two more runs came in, making the score six to seven with Team Army barely in the lead, but it cost Team Air Force two out of its three outs.
With a runner on third base and Burgin on second base, Team Air Force was playing on its last card.
Crack! The softball hit the bat hard, and Burgin ran for home plate. She managed to score the game-winning run. Now, the Air Force women’s team has won the tournament three years in a row.
“It was an amazing feeling,” said Burgin. “It felt really good to be a part of the gold-winning team.”