COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State University will honor Ohio National Guard Soldiers and Airmen, as well as other U.S. military service members, before and during its football game with Florida A&M at noon Saturday in Ohio Stadium.
OSU has invited 300 Ohio National Guard Soldiers and Airmen, who already have been selected by their leadership, to attend the game in uniform as guests of the Buckeyes. Highlights of Saturday’s events will include:
- Sgt. Darren R. Downing, of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Ohio Army National Guard,
- McConnelsville and a wounded Afghanistan veteran, will help lead the Buckeyes out of the tunnel before the game.
- Fifty Ohio National Guard Soldiers and Airmen will help hold a large American flag over the field during the national anthem.
- Five new ONG recruits will take their ceremonial oaths of enlistment on the field during the break between the first and secoond quarters.
Live “look-ins” will be broadcast on the jumbo stadium scoreboard of Soldiers from the Ohio Army National Guard’s 371st Sustainment Brigade, currently deployed to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, who will be watchingthe game from overseas and cheering on the Buckeyes.
Several “Go Bucks” shout outs from 371st Sustainment Brigade Soldiers will be played on the scoreboard throughout the game.