KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A group of about 20 1st Infantry Division Soldiers stationed at Fort Riley, Kan., started their morning with a 5-mile run on Sept. 13. Later that evening, they found themselves in the middle of the field just before kickoff of a nationally televised NFL game.
The Soldiers made the trip to Arrowhead Stadium to participate in the flag ceremony before kickoff of ESPN's Monday Night Football game with the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the San Diego Chargers in Kansas City, Mo.
The Soldiers joined other servicemen, policemen and firefighters in holding a 90-foot American flag in the middle of the field as country recording artist Billy Ray Cyrus sang the National Anthem.
"The reception when we were out there on the field was something I've never experienced before," said Chief Warrant Officer 3 John Terry, Division Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 1st Inf. Div., who is a self-proclaimed "Chief nut." "The response from the crowd with the lights dimmed, it was pretty surreal. It was really an opportunity for the Soldiers to see the Kansas City Chiefs and experience the Chiefs actually on the field and in the stands with the fans."
Aside from participating in the pre-game ceremony, the Soldiers watched the game from club-level seats and interacted with fans before and during the game.
"It was awesome," Terry said. "The fans were very supportive. Everywhere we went, there were high fives, 'thank you for your service,' and 'can I get a picture with you.'"
Many fans tailgating invited the Soldiers to join them and offered them food before the game.
"There was more food than we could eat," Terry said. "People offered us a taste of some Kansas City barbecue."
The Soldiers were interviewed on live television with Fox Channel 4's chief meteorologist Mike Thompson.
During the walk through for the flag ceremony, the servicemembers got to meet Cyrus after he performed his sound checks.
"He just seemed like one of the guys," Terry said.
Many of the servicemembers even played catch with Cyrus on the field.
Of course, the whole experience was made even better by the Chiefs 21-14 upset victory, which Terry described as "thunder and lightning."
"We won," he said. "What else do you want' What else can you ask for' We had tailgating; we had high fives from the fans; we were on the field, and we won."
Chiefs leaders, rookies and cheerleaders visited Fort Riley June 18 for a meet-and-greet. Former Chiefs president Denny Thum and Deputy Commanding General - Rear Brig. Gen. David Petersen exchanged footballs and spoke about the partnership between the two organizations.
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