Service members honored during U of A football games

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Chris Massey
  • 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  During college football season, the University of Arizona holds ceremonies recognizing service members who have recently returned home from a deployment.

With a different branch being recognized each week since 2012, the "Welcome Home Hero" ceremony honors a service member who was chosen by their branch for having a deployment record that stood out among the rest.

"I heard about a military salute campaign being done at the University of Nebraska and immediately knew I wanted to do something similar here at the U of A," said Dana Cooper, U of A sponsorship marketing consultant and 355th Mission Support Group honorary commander.

The ceremony occurs during the time out between the first and second quarter of the game.  When it begins, the service member stands on the field of Arizona Stadium while an announcer reads their bio and pictures of their deployment are displayed on the video board.  Then, their family members join them on the field while being introduced by the announcer.

"It gives me great pride and joy to have created a ceremony where service members, and the military in general, are recognized," Cooper said.  "These are men and women who have put their life on the line to defend our country, while their families sacrifice to allow the warfighter to serve."

Senior Airman Joshua Aguillon, 355th Security Forces Squadron member, was recognized at the most recent ceremony held Sept. 20.

"I felt honored and privileged to be out on the field representing the Air Force and my family," said Aguillon.  "It was very humbling experience to see and hear all the U of A fans cheering while I was standing out there."

Aguillon was joined by his wife, Heather, and daughter, Adrianna, in front of a crowd of more than 45,000.

"I'm always greatly touched to see and hear how vocal our fans are in applauding the service member," Cooper said.  "Of all the promotions we run during a football game, Welcome Home Hero is the most well-received."