Desert ice just as nice for deployed Airman

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Matthew Bates
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) --  For the average Airman, the last thing on his or her mind when deploying to the desert is ice hockey. Not so for Senior Master Sgt. Daniel Morin.

As soon as he heard he was being sent to a forward-deployed location as the 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Operations Squadron’s quality assurance superintendent, he began searching the Internet to do some research on hockey in the area.

He discovered there were several hockey teams around the base. On an impulse, he packed his skates, gloves and helmet alongside his military gear.

“It was a long shot without a doubt,” he said. “And a lot of people thought I was crazy when they found out I was bringing hockey gear to the desert.”

The impulse paid off, though, and within two weeks of him first stepping off the plane, Sergeant Morin was lacing up his skates and heading out onto the ice with a local hockey team. The team’s players, made up of Canadians and one host-nation citizen, said they were impressed with his abilities and asked him to join their league and play with them a few times a week.

“We would practice once a week and play the national team once a week as well,” Sergeant Morin said. “We would hold our own against the national team until a few ex-pro players were brought in. Of course we couldn’t touch them after that.

“Even though I was hoping to be able to come over here and play, I never really thought it would happen,” he said.

The team even asked him to join them in an international tournament they would be playing in locally. He spoke to his chain of command, got the authorization he needed and was added to the team’s roster for the tournament.

The tournament consisted of 18 teams from around the region and Europe. Sergeant Morin’s team ended up placing third in their division, with him contributing five goals and six assists.

Sergeant Morin also volunteered to be a referee for matches his team was not playing in.

“I think I refereed close to eight or nine games a day plus the ones I played in. … By the last day, I could hardly move” he said.

Being immersed in hockey is nothing new for Sergeant Morin. At his previous station in Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, he was president of the Elmendorf Eagles Hockey Association, which consisted of six active-duty teams. He also established the annual Alaskan armed forces hockey tournament in 1997. At his current home station at Offutt AFB, Neb., he plays defense on the Offutt Marauders “A” hockey team and also plays for a hockey league locally.

“Since age 5, I have played in many different states and countries, but this is by far the craziest thing I’ve experienced,” Sergeant Morin said.

While hockey is one of the loves in his life, Sergeant Morin still puts the mission first -- a fact that does not go unnoticed by his co-workers in the squadron and the 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Group.

“As much preparation and initiative as he put into being able to play hockey here, he puts double that into performing his job on a day-to-day basis,” said Chief Master Sgt. Brian Riddle with the 380th EMG.

Sergeant Morin said he is happy for the opportunity and feels it is an experience he will remember for the rest of his life.

“I’ll be talking about this for quite awhile,” he said.