Two Nebraska officers recall Army-Navy football game history

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The Military and Naval academies fought on the soccer subject in Philadelphia this Saturday. The sport has a wealthy historical past, one which two present officers within the Nebraska Military Nationwide Guard have been a part of.

About twenty years in the past, the 2 males, who now name Lincoln residence, suited up on the sphere: one sporting an Military uniform and the opposite sporting a Navy uniform.

”They name it America’s recreation for a motive,” mentioned Captain Jason Jackson, a JAG officer–or lawyer–with the Nebraska Military Nationwide Guard.

Based on Capt. Jackson and Lieutenant Colonel Richard Greenwood, Jackson obtained his stripes on the Naval academy and finally joined the Nationwide Guard, and Greenwood went to the military academy. They squared off in opposition to one another a few occasions as rivals.

”Jason and I have been lucky sufficient to play within the one hundredth anniversary in 1999,” Greenwood, the Nebraska Military Nationwide Guard inspector normal, mentioned. “December 4. It was form of particular for us.”

Partly, it’s the thunder of the gang: 1000’s of cadets from every academy man the perimeters in a stadium a lot bigger than the standard academy recreation. It’s additionally the fanfare: many presidents, stretching all the way in which again to Theodore Roosevelt in 1901, have attended.

And a lot rides on the result.

”The navy recreation is the culminating, ‘We should win this recreation to have a profitable season,’” Greenwood mentioned. “We might go 13-0 and lose that recreation, and we’d be absolute failures. It’s the toughest fought recreation I’ll have ever skilled in my soccer profession.”

Cleats on turf might not be boots on the bottom, however enjoying on the soccer subject can sharpen some expertise wanted on the battlefield.

”There’s at all times the sense of consciousness about what which means and the way the soccer subject is making ready these younger athletes to be future fight leaders,” Jackson mentioned.

General, what caught with Greenwood and Jackson probably the most got here after the sport, when the onerous fought combat fell away within the rearview mirror.

”What makes the sport so particular is that instantly after the sport, they take the soccer uniform off, put their service uniform on,” Jackson mentioned. “And we’re comrades in arms, defending our nation.”

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