Though the Washington Commanders have experienced a lot of "new" this year, the organization's partnership with USAA, the official Salute to Service partner of the Washington Commanders, and appreciation for the military has persisted.
On Day 5 of training camp, Commanders personnel and staff from USAA combined forces to hold a Military Appreciation Day to honor local military members and their families.
"There has been a lot of change with our club and our organization. But one constant remains; a steadfast Washington Commanders commitment to the men and women of our armed forces and their families," Chris Bailey, Washington's Salute lead, said. "'Thank you for your service' doesn't adequately express our gratitude and appreciation for these men and women and their families. Special thank you to Adam Peters and Dan Quinn, their staff, and all of the players for the warm welcome they showed this community."
Service members and their families were treated to a delicious breakfast spread and enjoyed an unobstructed view of practice. Players interacted with participants at the end of practice, spending time talking with military members and their families, taking pictures and signing autographs.
"I've been raised around servicemen and football fans my whole life, so it's a very special place in my heart to have them do this for us," Jordan Foster, a senior at Howard University in the school's ROTC Air Force program, said. "The fact that we give our support to them and they return it and give it back to us, I feel like that's probably one of the greatest things they can do and recognize what goes into service."
After watching practice and getting to mingle with some of their favorite players, active military members were invited to the bubble for a football Boot Camp. There, they participated in five NFL Combine events – quarterback throw, broad jump, the gauntlet, 40-yard dash, and three-cone drill.
Sergeant First Class Andrew McCannon and Captain Bailey Abercrombie, who are both stationed at Arlington National Cemetery as part of The Old Guard, felt "humbled" by the 40-yard dash, and enjoyed the experience of engaging in athletic drills on the Commanders' practice field.
"It's a little bit different than our normal day-to-day, which is nice to break the monotony," SFC McCannon said. "It's awesome because I've been in the Army for 15 years, so the outside support has kind of diminished a little bit. It's nice to see that people still care even though we're not actively doing a lot, like war time stuff or anything like that. It's nice to see that people actually still support the military."
"It's just really cool for everyone involved, all of the soldiers involved," Cpt. Abercrombie added. "They won't forget this day, even if it's just a mock Combine or seeing players practice, these will be lasting memories forever, so it's just an honor and humbled to be able to be here and we appreciate the Commanders support for us."
Aside from all the exciting activities available to military members, the day also served as the Commanders' official celebration of Military Appreciation Day. Kimmy Tennessee and her family attended training camp in observance of Military Appreciation Day with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) community. She and her family spent their time in Ashburn honoring her brother, Army Captain Brian "Bubba" Bunting, who was tragically killed in the line of duty while serving during 2009's Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
"It is so special. You don't get this, this is a special opportunity. So for them to make a day for, not just for us, but you know, everyone here has put their service into the country, it means a lot," Tennessee said. "And if there's any one NFL team that sticks out that honors their fallen, I think it's the Commanders for sure."
Bubba was a "huge fan" of the team, so being surrounded by the burgundy and gold was a special way for Tennessee and her family to honor Bubba's memory.
"His love for football was passed down to me and my kids. My kids never got to meet their uncle but they know about him, they talk about him and it's super special," she said.
As he walked off the field at the end of practice, tight end Zach Ertz threw his towel into the crowd. It was Tennessee who caught the towel, which serves as the perfect souvenir to remember this day and honor her brother.
"What those men and women do each and every day to fight for our freedoms is something that we'll never be able to repay and it's something that I don't think anyone should ever take for granted because we wouldn't be able to come out here and play a game without the sacrifices that they partake in every single day, being away from their families, sacrificing life unfortunately, just so that we can have our freedoms here in the States," Ertz said.
"And so for me, I'm very appreciative to all the men and women that serve this country, and I'll never be able to repay the debt that I owe them or my family owes them or we owe them. And every time I see someone, I want to thank them for everything that they do. And I know those words don't nearly do it justice, but I hope they know every time they say see me or that I greet them or I'm able to interact with them is something that I do with a lot of respect and gratitude and I'm very thankful for everything they do."
