Updated Photo:
U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program wrestler Sgt. Spenser Mango loses 2-0, 1-0 to Russia’s Mingiyan Semenov in the first round of repechage in the 55-kilogram/121-pound Greco-Roman division of the Olympic wrestling tournament at the ExCel North Arena in London, Aug. 5, 2012. Mango went 1-2 and finished ninth in his weight class. (Photo: DoD)
UPDATE:
Army Sgt. Spenser Mango’s pursuit of a 2012 Olympic medal came to an end today at London’s ExCel Centre .
He was defeated 2-0, 1-0 by Russia’s Mingiyan Semenov in the first round of the repechage of the 55 kg Greco-Roman wrestling.
Hamid Soryan of Iran won an Olympic gold medal, Rovshan Bayramov of Azerbaijan won silver and Peter Modos of Hungary and Mingiyan Semenov of Russia won bronze medals.
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Original Post:
The maxim, “an army marches on its stomach” is often attributed to Napoleon. Others may have said it or something similar much, much earlier.
But the significance is clear. Military troops must be fed, clothed and — when possible — protected from the elements in order for them to perform well in combat. In other words, the supply sources and supply lines must work well — good “logistics” are of the essence. Of course logistics include ammunition, fuel, transportation, etc., etc. And, of course, today with our global “reach” and global conflicts, logistics are even more critical.
General George S. Patton famously said, “Success demands a high level of logistical and organizational competence.”
The reader may well ask, “What does all this ‘logistics’ have to do with the 2012 London Olympics?”
The simple answer is that four of the 16 military Olympians are ‘logisticians.” And the Army is very proud of them.
So proud that it has dedicated a rousing video to the Olympian Logisticians:
And it so happens that one of the logisticians, U.S. Army Sergeant Vincent Hancock — a Logistics Specialist in Transportation — has already won the Olympic men’s skeet shooting Gold Medal.
The three other logisticians — all still having the opportunity to win an Olympic medal — are:
• Army Spc. Dennis Bowsher, 30, from Dallas, who is a logistics operator in transportation. Bowsher will be representing the United States in modern pentathlon, a five-sport event that includes fencing, and swimming, equestrian show jumping, cross country and laser pistol shooting all in the same day. The event is scheduled to take place on August 11.
• Two-time Olympian Sgt. Spenser Mango, 25, from St’ Louis is a transportation specialist. He will compete in the wrestling men’s 55-kilogram Greco-Roman class. The event is scheduled to take place in London on August 5.
• Army Sgt. 1st Class Dremiel Byers, 37, a logistics operations quartermaster, who will compete in the wrestling men’s 120-kilogram Greco-Roman class. The event is scheduled to take place in London on August 6.
We wish these “Logisticians” every success.
There are two more Army Olympians still scheduled to compete and who still have the opportunity to bring home the Gold. They are:
• Spc. Justin Lester who is a strong medal contender in the 66-kilogram Greco-Roman division event scheduled for August 7.
• Staff Sgt. John Nunn, a dental hygienist, who will compete in the 50-kilometer race-walk event in London on August 11. We saw John Nunn last week on the “Today” show demonstrating for the show hosts the “fundamentals” of race walking.
Photos: Courtesy DoD
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.