JUNE 25, 2026 — For Sgt. 1st Class Brittany Primavera, the UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest was more than a national celebration near the White House. It was a public affairs mission behind the camera, capturing the service members and performers who helped bring the joint force into one of the country’s most visible public spaces.
Primavera, the noncommissioned officer in charge of public affairs for The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” was granted full press access during the event. Her mission was to document the military’s role in the celebration and ensure the service members supporting it were part of the story. While civilian media outlets focused heavily on the fighters and the UFC spectacle, Primavera focused her lens on the military.
For Primavera, capturing that representation made it worth while, cementing the mission as one of the top highlights of her 10-year military career.
“It was so fun and so beautiful to make sure that our people got the spotlight,” Primavera said.
The event, part of the nation’s Freedom 250 observance, brought together military performers, service members and civilian audiences through music, demonstrations and personal interaction.
For event planners, the goal was to place service members in front of a national audience while giving them a memorable experience.
“This is a very unique opportunity to support and celebrate our country but also provide service members an opportunity to experience this,” said Angelica Lopez, a civilian national events public affairs planner with the U.S. Army Military District of Washington.
Working through heat and long hours, Primavera moved between performances, demonstrations and behind-the-scenes moments. Supported by The U.S. Army Band Public Affairs team editing content late into the night, she captured more than 200 images of the joint force throughout the historic weekend.
Her photos captured performances by The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” The U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, The U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, “The Commandant’s Own” U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, multiservice combatives demonstration, and civilian performers. But for Primavera, the most meaningful moments came when the crowd responded directly to the service members in uniform.
“We were there for UFC, and the military was an added benefit, but there were other events … where the crowd was there for the military, and the energy for the military was very high,” Primavera said.
That energy stood out during a joint performance in which classical musicians from The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” shared the stage with the Zac Brown Band. Primavera noted the contrast of watching Soldiers, who often perform during solemn ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, play “Chicken Fried” in front of more than 20,000 cheering fans.
The contrast was sharpest when Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Brewer, a trumpet player with The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” whose normal duties include playing “Taps” at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, stepped forward to deliver a highly exposed and coordinated solo utilizing the first six notes of “Taps” which mirrors what happens when he plays “Taps” at the Tomb or in funerals in Arlington National Ceremony. For Primavera, watching a musician transition from the solemnity of Arlington to hyping up a massive crowd encapsulated the uniqueness of the weekend.
That high-profile representation was exactly what event organizers had hoped to achieve when planning the joint-force integration.
“One of the big things that we wanted to make sure was that our service members went out there, and first and most importantly, represented our services or our department to the best of their ability,” Lopez said.
For Primavera, capturing that representation made the long hours worthwhile. Primavera began her own career as a fifer with The U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, the historical unit whose musicians wear the iconic red coats and blue facings of the Revolutionary War musicians. Having transitioned from playing in those ceremonies to documenting them, she ranks this assignment among the top three moments of her military career.
“Seeing them on stage with Zac Brown Band is probably one of my favorite moments in my career,” Primavera said. “These are highly trained classical musicians and seeing them have the best time was special.”
Story by Staff Sgt. Christopher Lindborg
Joint Task Force-National Capital Region and the U.S. Army Military District of Washington