“I love being a pilot and being with Soldiers,” Clausi said. “The Army and Softball go hand and hand for me because I want to leave a legacy as both a Soldier and player.”
CAMP HUMPHREYS — 1st Lt. Courtney Clausi is spending her free time on the diamond practicing for her opportunity to make the All-Army Women’s Softball team this August in Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. Clausi, a native of Ashland, Virginia is the assistant personnel officer for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade. She plays shortstop or outfielder on the Camp Humphreys post level team. The team won the peninsula championship in 2014 and is looking to repeat for 2015. Clausi began playing baseball around 20 years ago and fell in love with the sport.
“Both of my parents played softball and they really pushed me to play hard,” Clausi said. As she got older, Clausi switched from baseball into softball.
“Softball grows on you,” she said. “My competitive attitude made me want to be the best, and I love working with a team.”
Clausi played through high school and into college at Mary Baldwin College in Stanton, Virginia earning awards for Best Defensive Player and Most Valuable Player.
This year she will compete for a position as an outfielder on the All-Army Women’s Softball Team. She and 30 other Soldiers will compete for 16 roster slots on the team.
Clausi grew up in a military family where her grandfather, father, step father and brother all served. She always knew that she would one day follow that same path.
After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, she was commissioned into the U.S. Army in Aviation and qualified as a UH-60 Blackhawk pilot. After arriving to Korea in 2014, she joined the Camp Humphrey’s woman’s softball team and has been a member for two seasons.
Some of the players on the post team who played for the All-Army team told Clausi she would have a great chance of making the roster. She decided that it would be a great opportunity and sent in her application packet.
She said she is very excited for this chance to represent the Army and feels confident that she can make the team. If selected she will be placed on temporary duty status for the duration of the coming season.
Clausi said she would like to make a career out of the Army and wants to play softball for as long as she can. After retirement she would like to be a softball coach so she can pass her knowledge of the sport to the next generation.
