You should have been there

Midwestern State University hosted a military appreciation tribute at its game against West Texas A&M University, Nov. 5.

MSU has paid tribute to military members annually for the past nine years, recognizing service members from Sheppard Air Force Base and Fort Sill. Saturday’s game included a T-6 Texan II flyover by the 80^th Flying Training Wing, a presentation to Sheppard and Fort Sill commanders, and the inclusion of a formation of Airmen and Soldiers in the half time show.

The partnership between Sheppard and MSU is an important one from a community and economic stand point.

But more impactful than the formal recognition of the partnership between MSU and Sheppard AFB was the personal connection for each person in attendance. The afternoon had a sense of gratitude and of pride that never fails to show up when U.S. citizens and large formations of military men and women meet. It’s an emotion that can’t be written into a script or described in a follow-up article – you have to be there.

As a military member, I was touched to see the genuineness of the various expressions of gratitude – an event coordinator can plan commander involvement in a coin toss and the introduction of military members, but he can’t schedule the expressions of appreciation that were woven through the afternoon: the team’s recognition of the Airmen section as they took the field, the cheerleaders wearing camo bows, the Mustang mascot visit to the Airmen section, and the crowd joining in as the MSU band played “America the Beautiful.”

More than 225 Airmen in Training were present at the game, making a visual statement as they occupied an entire section of the stands as a block of solid Air Force blue. They are just beginning their military careers; they will soon be on bases and in war zones across the globe – refueling and maintaining aircraft, building up bases, managing comms, clearing IEDs.

But on Saturday, they represented the Air Force. Their formation during half time showed their sharpness and pride – a pride that the crowd could share because it stems from their commitment to securing America’s future, a future that will include many Saturday football games in sunny Texas stadiums.