MILITARY BOWL GAMEDAY ELEMENTS

The MILITARY BOWL OFFICIAL TAILGATE starts at 10 am in the Blue parking lot on the west side of the stadium, with music, entertainment, military displays and more with food/beverages available for purchase. The Tailgate is free and open to the public.

The MILITARY BOWL PARADE, featuring the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales, seven Medal of Honor Recipients and including more than 60 entries, steps off at 10 am at City Dock and proceeds to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Clydesdales stayed this week at Promise Landing Farm in Mitchellville, a state-of-the-art equine inclusive community. The PARADE GRAND MARSHAL is WWE Global Ambassador Titus O’Neil. The parade is free and open to the public.

The MILITARY BOWL MOBILE APP is the home for all things Military Bowl.

The MILITARY BOWL 50/50 RAFFLE winner will be announced during the fourth quarter. The Raffle benefits the USO and Patriot Point.

The USO & MEDAL OF HONOR RECEPTION is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 2 pm in the N* Banquet Room on the first floor of the press tower. Media are welcome to attend.

Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 1:30 pm when the PREGAME PAGEANTRY begins, sponsored by 3M:
** TEAM FASTRAX PARACHUTE JUMP TEAM consists mostly of military veterans from the Rangers, Special Forces and Airborne units. Today’s performance is dedicated to U.S. Marine Corps Major Doug Zembiec. A two-time All-American wrestler at the U.S. Naval Academy, Zembiec earned the nickname the “Lion of Fallujah” during his service in Iraq. He was killed in combat on May 11, 2007. Zembiec’s wife and daughter are attending the Military Bowl.

** Performing today’s NATIONAL ANTHEM is the quartet Voices of Service, which is comprised of veteran service members: Master Sergeant Caleb Green, Staff Sergeant Ron Henry, Sergeant Major Christal Rheams and Sergeant 1st Class Jason Hanna. Voices of Service uses its platform to increase awareness of what music can do, for service men and women who are coping with post-traumatic stress and other invisible/visible wounds.

** Today’s MILITARY BOWL FLYOVER is flown with Blackhawk and Chinook helicopters form the 29th Combat Aviation Brigade of the Maryland Army National Guard.

TICKETS FOR TROOPS, which provides complimentary tickets for active-duty and veteran service members and their family members, is sponsored by Peraton, 3M, MTI, NextGen, Skydio and DRB Group.

Prior to the game, the Military Bowl and 3M congratulated the Duke punter Jackson Hubbard and UCF long snapper Alex Ward, members of the MILITARY BOWL 3M STEM SCHOLAR-ATHLETE PROGRAM, which recognized football players interested in STEM studies at each school in the ACC and the American Athletic Conference, the two leagues represented in today’s Bowl.

3M will make a donation to the general scholarship funds of Duke and UCF in the name of each player, respectively, to be designated for use by a STEM major from an under-represented population.

At midfield for the COIN TOSS will be Military Bowl Foundation President & Executive Director Steve Beck along with Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and seven Recipients of the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration presented for acts of valor in the face of enemy danger:
** All seven Recipients in attendance today were presented the Medal of Honor for their actions in the Vietnam War: Barney Barnum, Mike Fitzmaurice, Joe Marm, Jim McCloughan, Bob Patterson, Brian Thacker and Mike Thornton.
** McCloughan, a three-sport athlete at Olivet College who distinguished himself as a U.S. Army combat medic, will sing God Bless America during a break in in the first quarter.
** Hogan will conduct the ceremonial coin toss, using a PATRIOT POINT challenge coin. Patriot Point is the Military Bowl Foundation’s 294-acre retreat for recovering service members on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
** The ceremonial game ball is being delivered by Peraton Chief Operating Officer Jeremy Wensinger.

The ENLISTMENT CEREMONY following the first quarter will see 100 young men and women take an oath administered by Vice Admiral Sean Buck, the Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy. Each of the six military branches will be represented: Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy and Space Force.

During the second quarter, the Military Bowl Foundation will recognize Medal of Honor Recipient WOODY WILLIAMS, a longtime supporter of the Military Bowl. Woody, who passed away on June 29, was the last living Medal of Honor Recipient from World War II. He attended the Bowl on several occasions. In attendance at today’s game are Woody’s grandsons Brent and Bryan Casey and his great grandson, Benji Casey.

The WASHINGTON NATIONALS RACING PRESIDENTS will take the field for a special in-game race. The Racing Presidents are on-hand as part of the Nats on Base initiative, which provides year-round experiences that contribute to the quality of life for service members and their families in the Washington D.C. region.

Championship teams from the ANNE ARUNDEL YOUTH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION accepted the Military Bowl’s invitation to participate in the Military Bowl Parade and receive complimentary tickets to today’s game. Welcome teams from the Naptown Panthers, Old Mill Patriots and Severna Park Green Hornets. The Maryland 1A high school champion Fort Hill Sentinels and DC State Athletic Association Class AA champion Friendship Collegiate Knights also are in attendance.

Navy Federal Credit Union will honor the NAVY FEDERAL ROTC STUDENTS OF THE YEAR.

Today’s HALFTIME SHOW will be performed by the Duke University Marching Band and the UCF Marching Knights. Following the bands, the Military Bowl will recognize 10 local teachers and present each with a grant as part of the College Football Playoff Foundation’s EXTRA YARD FOR TEACHERS.

Following the third quarter, Military Bowl Foundation President & Executive Director Steve Beck will make a PRESENTATION TO PATRIOT POINT Vice President Hugh Middleton.