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Love of Country, Love of the Game
by Robin Dawson
| This isn’t SFC Robert
“Dusty” Dawson’s first State League Championship. In 2006 he was a
member of the 5th place 3.0 men’s team in the nation, out of
Washington State. But there was no trip to Disney World after that
great showing for this 22-year Army veteran. Just three days after that
fifth place finish Sgt. Dawson was on his way to Afghanistan to serve
more than a year with the 82nd Airborne Division where he
trained soldiers for combat and specialized in communications. |
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Sgt. Dawson is safely
back, and this time is stationed here in Augusta at Ft. Gordon with the 35th
Signal Brigade. His very first stop after stepping back onto American
soil? The tennis center. That’s where he met now good friend, and Team
Captain of the 3.5 Newman Baseliners, Chris Tully. If the Baseliners win
this weekend there just might be time for that trip to Disney World. But
soon after, Sgt. Dawson will have to again say goodbye to his son Tate and
be off again. Destination Iraq, where he’ll be serving one more year.
“The nice thing about
Iraq,” says Dawson “is that they’ve got four courts there. All guarded by
guard towers.” Dawson says in Iraq tennis is second only to soccer in
popularity. He thinks there should be time to play some tennis while he’s
there. When he was in Afghanistan Dawson had only three opportunities to
play a year. That was on trips to the war-torn area’s one recreational
facility in Qatar, where there were just two courts.
A little known fact about
Sgt. Dawson is that he’s got a dream. A big dream! He plans to retire from
the army in three years. And when he does – he wants to be the first to
become a professional tennis player at the age of 43! He believes how
quickly he’s able to make that career changeover will have a lot to do with
how much time he’ll have to practice.
Back in Qatar, Sgt. Dawson
said one fight he didn’t have to brave was that for court space. Apparently
there weren’t too many others making room for tennis racquets along with
their weapons and body armor. He said, “I served a lot in those days,
because there was nobody to hit with.”
I’d say Sgt. Dawson has
served a lot in the past 22 years. If you see him around this weekend with
the Newman Baseliners stop him and thank him for all he does. And you might
want to get on his good side. He might just invite you into his player's
box once he’s out there on the tour! |
