DECEMBER 27, 2022 – The U.S. Army Reserve took part in the National Football League’s Salute to Service Game between the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium here during week nine of the 2022 NFL season.
Maj. Gen. Rodney Faulk, commanding general of the Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division, and Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew Lombardo, command sergeant major of the Army Reserve, were on hand to help award Minuteman Scholarships to four future Army officers as part of the Veterans Day celebration.
“Veterans Day is a great day – it’s an opportunity for America to show appreciation to the millions of men and women from all walks of life who have made service a central part of their lives, whether they’re serving on active duty or serving in the Army Reserve or Army National Guard,” said Faulk during an on-field interview with Ethan Greenberg on Jets Pregame Central.
The Minuteman Scholarship Program is a U.S. Army Cadet Command initiative to offer Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty (GRFD) scholarships to candidates who self-select for service in the reserve component.
The GRFD scholarship provides full tuition and fees or room and board up to $10,000 per year for up to four years at a public or private school.
“To be able to pay for their university experience and, at the end of it, they get to commission as an officer — so they get to pursue dual pursuits — I think that’s pretty cool,” said Lombardo during an interview with Angelica Stabile of FOX News.
Other senior Army leaders attending the game included: Lt. Gen. Douglas Stitt, deputy chief of staff, Army G1, who administered the Oath of Enlistment to 130 new Army recruits during a mass-enlistment ceremony on the field, Mr. Steve Castleton, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for New York, who coordinated many of the day’s events; and Maj. Gen. Michel Natali, assistant adjutant general, New York National Guard.
“(Our nation’s Soldiers are) all making a sacrifice to be ready to defend the nation when called, and that’s the most noble thing I can think of,” Faulk said.
Faulk’s interview on Jets Pregame Central can be viewed at:
https://www.newyorkjets.com/video/jets-pregame-central-presented-by-bud-light-jets-vs-bills-week-9
Lombardo’s interview with FOX News can be found at:
https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/new-york-jets-pay-tribute-americas-military-veterans-annual-salute-to-service-game
To learn more about the Minuteman Scholarship, visit:
https://www.usar.army.mil/MinutemanCampaign/
Story by Staff Sgt. Shawn Morris
99th Readiness Division