927th ARW Represents Military at Beef O Brady Bowl

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Rachelle Coleman
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. --  More than 150 Military members assigned to MacDill
Air Force Base teamed together to unfurl a super-sized American flag for
the Beef O'Brady Bowl at Tropicana Field recently.

Military members stationed at MacDill often participate in local community
events, for a community that constantly shows its support for the
military, utilizing military members into their ceremonies to appropriately honor
those who serve in the area. Most of the units on base were represented through the volunteers.

Family members of service members donned red, white and blue and were also
on the field to help unfurl the flag. The base honor guard presented the
colors.

While not every volunteer was necessarily a fan, they were excited to be part of the game.

"I did it to represent the 927th," said Tech. Sgt. Sandra Ruela, 927th Air
Refueling Wing command post training manager. "It's a way to represent the
unit and the Air Force in a positive, productive manner."

The Airmen and Soldiers who volunteered met three hours before the game for
a 10-15 minute run-through for the opening ceremony. During this time, each
volunteer was given a specific job to ensure the massive flag could be
opened without touching the ground. The flag was so large that it literally
covered the football field.

During their downtime, members joined fans outside for some pregame
tailgating.

While walking through the tailgating crowd and during the unfurling, fans
from both teams joined in chanting, "USA, USA".

"It was really awesome to hear them have such enthusiasm for the military.
Random people came up to me to hug me and thank me for serving," said
Ruela.

The Soldiers and Airmen received tickets for the game in addition to standing on
the field for the pre-game ceremonies as an incentive for volunteering for this
assignment.

Sergeant Ruela, who has volunteered for the bowl game and other sporting
events in the past, coordinated with coworkers and friends to volunteer and
watch the game together.

"I recommend this to every single Airman that's new to this base and brand
new to the unit. Volunteer for something like this because it's a great
experience," she said.

As the volunteers made their way to their seats after the opening
ceremonies, many encountered grateful fans. Volunteers and
military members continually heard 'thank you for your service' as they
walked through the stadium.

The University of Central Florida Knights dominated from start to finish,
claiming a 38-17 Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl victory over the Ball State Cardinals
Friday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.