Chicago Dogs honor Army Reserve officer during the Army’s 250th Birthday

Lt. Col. Christopher Tung, G-3/Assistant Chief of Staff, 85th U.S. Army Reserve Support Command, threw out the first pitch while the 85th USARSC color guard team presented the Colors before the start of the Chicago Dogs baseball against the Cleburne Railroaders June 14, 2025, at Impact Field in Rosemont, Illinois.

“It was an honor to represent the Army during its 250th Birthday. It’s great interacting with the fans, especially the little kids who came up to us and expressed an interest in joining the Army,” said Tung. “A few of my G-3 (operations) colleagues were part of the color guard too.”

Tung, a native of Villa Park, Illinois, graduated from Willowbrook High School in 1998 and attended the University of Illinois at Champaign and initially joined the Illinois Army National Guard in 2000. He graduated from the University of Illinois as a distinguished military graduate.

He met his wife, Christina, when he attended the Officer Basic Course at Fort Gordon, Georgia. She completed eight years of active and Army Reserve service before leaving the Army at the rank of captain.

“I’m very proud of him. He loves the military. He’s doing it for all the right reasons,” said Christina.

The two have been married for 20 years and have five children who attended the game. Christopher, 19, Annabelle, 17, Audrina, 13, David, 11 and Derrick who is six years old.

Tung currently has 25 years of combined service in the National Guard and Army Reserve. He served 10 years in South Korea at a variety of locations including Daegu, Pyeongtaek and Seoul.

As Tung sat in the stands with his family enjoying the baseball game, he reflected on the service of those across the Army’s 250 years.

“A big reason why we have this opportunity to watch this baseball game is because of the sacrifices of service members,” said Tung. “I’d like to wish the Army a happy 250th Birthday.”

The Chicago Dogs beat the Cleburne Railroaders 6-5 in nine innings.