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6 // AUGUST 2020 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM O F F T HE D R AW O F F T HE D R AW T he bonds between a Navy corpsman a n d t h e M a r i n e C o r p s u n i t h e o r she serves with are as unbreakable as hardened steel. It's a relationship forged under fire and strengthened by hardship and shared experience and sacrifice. It's a connection that stands the test of time long after a deployment comes to an end. Marvin Floer knows this all too well. A Navy corpsman since 2007, the Detroit area native shares a brotherhood with those he has served with and fought alongside in some of the most difficult and dangerous places in the world. And even though they may have moved on to new duty stations and new adventures, time and distance cannot break those bonds of brotherhood. "They are some of the best relationships I have," Floer said. "I have Marines that if they called me right now, we'd get off the phone and say, 'I love you, man.' You build this bond that never goes away." That's also how he feels about his hockey teammates. Despite getting a late start on the ice, Floer has more than made up for lost time by diving headfirst into the sport both as a player and as an organizer. N o m a t t e r w h e r e d u t y c a l l s, whether it's Afghanistan, Okinawa or his current assignment at Walter Reed Military Medical Center, where he oversees 20 fellow sailors working in the pediatrics department, his passion for the game is matched only by his commitment to caring for others. I t w a s o n a 1 0 - m o n t h d e p l o y m e n t t o Afghanistan with a Marine unit out of Georgia that Floer and a friend made a pact to join an adult league once they returned Stateside. It didn't take long until he was hooked. " I j u st f e l l i n l ove w i t h i t a n d h ave n 't stopped since," he said. It was during his next duty station in San Diego that Floer helped found Patriots Hockey, a group of like-minded military members who staged charity games for a number of worthy causes, including the Semper Fi Fund, Marine Raider Foundation and the Force Recon Association. After almost five years at the helm of Patriots Hockey, Floer turned over the reins when duty called him to return overseas, this time to Okinawa, Japan. "It's honestly one of my biggest accom- plishments because I haven't touched it since 2016 and the guys running it now are d o i n g a g r e a t j o b and have expand- ed the program," Floer said. "To me, that means that I laid the foundation for a program that's s t i l l f l o u r i s h i n g even though I've moved on." Looking to fill the hockey void in his life, Floer and several friends would go on to create Veterans Hockey United, a group com- mitted to connecting military hockey players with teams in their area. The program is designed to create a positive outlet for active duty personnel and veterans from all branch- es of the military deal with post-traumatic stress and mental health issues while also raising awareness of suicide prevention. (To learn more about the program go to VeteransHockeyUnited.com) For Floer, the bonds forged in combat aren't all that much different from those created in the heat of competition. The willingness to put individual interests aside for the good of the unit is at the core of any successful mili- tary unit or hockey team. "Hockey creates a unique atmosphere that I've only found in the military," he said. "Just being there with your teammates and wearing the same uniform, traveling together and playing together just strengthens those bonds. Other than my time in the military, there isn't another avenue that provides that for me." P STICK TAP FOR SERVICE The Brotherhood Forged In Battle Carries Over To The Ice For Corpsman U.S. Bonds By Harry Thompson Whether it's on the battlefield or on the ice, Marvin Floer has always been about helping others.