Fort Bragg's baseball league helps veterans and service members cope amid ongoing war
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (WTVD) -- As the war with Iran enters its 10th week, uncertainty continues to weigh heavily on military families at Fort Bragg. But on the baseball diamond, a local league is offering service members and veterans a rare sense of normality and a vital outlet for connection.
"We have anywhere from privates brand new in the Army, all the way up to general officers who come out here and play," said Tanner Kruse, an Army veteran and commissioner of the league.
With deployments looming and the future unclear, the Bragg Baseball League has become a lifeline for those in uniform.
Kruse, who served in Afghanistan, started the league in 2024 with just 40 soldiers. Now, more than 150 veterans, military personnel, and active-duty members have joined. For Kruse, the mission is deeply personal.
"My unit lost about 15, 16 guys to suicide within the first six months of being back," he said. "I want to do whatever I can to prevent that from happening."
The league gives service members a place to clear their minds and escape the weight of conflict overseas.
"I think it gives everybody kind of an escape to shut their mind off," said Master Sgt. Mark Williams of the 3rd Special Forces Group.
Work can be very stressful. You don't always know what's going to happen, but we do know we have this team here.- Sgt. Anthony Armand
Williams, who has served for 18 years, knows the mental challenges firsthand.
"After being in this many years and deploying as many times as I have, I've obviously had struggles. This is another outlet, something to look forward to, a way to decompress," he said.
For others, the league is a chance to reconnect with an old passion. Sgt. Anthony Armand, a civil affairs team sergeant and medic, plays for the Goats, one of six teams in the league.
"After a little injury, baseball wasn't in my future anymore. But once I heard about this opportunity, I was excited to try it out," Armand said.
Baseball and military service have long been intertwined. During World War II, hundreds of Major League players, including Hank Greenberg, Yogi Berra, and Joe DiMaggio, left the game to serve their country.
Today, that connection continues at Bragg.
"We were in the middle of our season and, obviously, world events happen. People said, 'Hey, I'm no longer going to be able to play this season.' Obviously, they can't tell us why, when, or where, but they had to drop out," Kruse said. "We had teams losing half their players."
But the camaraderie on the field is what keeps players coming back.
"This is something that is certain that I enjoy, and I'll keep doing it as long as I can," Armand said. "Work can be very stressful. You don't always know what's going to happen, but we do know we have this team here."
With the demands of military life and the uncertainty of overseas deployments, the mental toll can add up quickly.
"I've been dealing with it through Iraq, Afghanistan, throughout other regions of the world," Williams said. "Having this area to come and talk to people and knowing that they have a voice. I think everyone understands that they can voice their questions, voice their opinions and not be judged."
The best part about being on the field, says Spc. Matthew Gainey, a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne, is that ranks are set aside.
"A lot of weekends, I'm chilling in the barracks and relaxing, going to the gym. But coming here, it's just something I look forward to," Gainey said.
For Kruse, that sense of belonging is what matters most.
"When you buy into this community, when you're active duty, going through trainings, deployments, whatever it may be, when you come back, you've got support here," he said.
The team always welcomes community support. Fans can cheer them on during their championship weekend on July 25 at Segra Stadium.
Championship series
When: July 25
Time: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Cost: $15
Concessions and the kids' zone will be open.
