By Sgt. David Freydin
4th Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division
Sgt. Robert Washington Jr., petroleum supply specialist, 59th Quartermaster Company, 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, works in the 59th QM orderly room Feb. 27, 2017. (Photo by Sgt. David Freydin)
Born and bred athlete Sgt. Robert Washington Jr. knows a lot about playing baseball. He received contact from Major League Baseball teams while still in high school and was destined to succeed as a baseball player.
“I’ve been playing my whole life,” said Washington. “My family pushed me extraordinarily hard from a young age, always placing me two levels above my age group. By my senior year of high school, scouts and recruiters were coming to my varsity baseball games.”
As life sometimes does, it threw Washington a curve ball, in the form of a daughter, during his senior year at Moore High School in Oklahoma in 2011.
Washington, petroleum supply NCO, 59th Quartermaster Company, 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, passed on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to chase his dream of playing professional baseball to enlist in the Army.
Just two weeks after beginning basic combat training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, he received a letter from the Cincinnati Reds inviting him to spring training tryouts.
“My drill sergeant asked me if it was something I wanted to do,” said Washington. “He told me I could still end my contract because I was so new to the Army. Even though it was something I really wanted to do, something I trained my whole life for, I ended up declining the offer because I just had a daughter and needed a stable income. I had to make the best long-term decision and that was serving our great nation and providing for my Family.”
Sgt. Robert Washington Jr., petroleum supply NCO, 59th Quartermaster Company, 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, swings at a pitch during a Fort Carson softball game in May 2016. (Photo courtesy of Sgt. Robert Washington Jr.)
He said many people were surprised by his decision, especially his dad, since only one person in his Family ever joined the military.
“My dad didn’t want me to join at first, but after he saw the person I became, he was proud of my decision,” said Washington. “I had ‘big shoes’ to fill coming from an athletic family. We have had 12 people in my Family play professional sports, and my younger sister is already being recruited by big-name universities in the ninth grade.”
He said his uncle, U.L. Washington, a major leaguer from 1977-1987 and a coach for the Boston Red Sox since 2003, was one of his biggest inspirations growing up.
In 2015, Washington was faced with another decision: re-enlist or utilize his final two years of college baseball eligibility.
“Family comes first,” said Washington. “I have three kids now and I didn’t want to chase a dream and fall short. Plus, I felt like I had an obligation to serve the nation.”
Now 24, Washington said his glory days are far from over. He plays on the Fort Carson men’s varsity softball team and a travel team called Hitmen Softball. Last year, he competed in the Military World Softball Championship.
“I enjoy playing with the military,” he said. “It brings back the pleasure of playing the game without all the stress and pressure. I’ve also been able to network and meet a whole lot of people I would have never met, some with similar baseball backgrounds.”
He added that he’s received a lot of support from the military and his chain of command.
“I see my leadership at a lot of my games,” he said. “Seeing them supporting us really speaks volumes for 68th CSSB.”
“He’s a great NCO and baseball player,” said 1st Sgt. Robert Apfelbaum, 59th QM. “I hand-selected him to be our training NCO and oversee all operations in the orderly room. Even though it’s a long step from his (military occupational specialty), he has grasped what needs to be done and has been a huge asset to this organization.”
Washington, who oversees three Soldiers, said playing sports and serving in the military go hand-in-hand.
“I was the team captain of my varsity team,” he said. “The leadership role forced me to have to take initiative and learn to do the right thing when nobody is watching.”
These days Washington might be caught at the batting cages after work or practicing at Skyview Sports Complex in Colorado Springs preparing for the next step in his career.
“In the future, I plan on trying out for the All-Army Softball Team,” Washington said.