Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Jonathan Pietrantoni | New York National Guard Spc. Shaniqua Loswijk, assigned to Company B, 101st Signal...... read more read more
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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.Y. — Five New York Army National Guard recruits reaffirmed their oaths in front of 83,000 football fans at the New York Jets “Salute to Service” before the game against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Sunday, November 6, 2022.
The event featured service members from the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard, all reaffirming their oaths of enlistment before kickoff.
The troops were guests of the NFL’s New York Jets football team as part of their “Salute to Service” pregame ceremony.
New York Army National Guard Soldiers led the New York Jets players out of their locker tunnel. Five other New York Soldiers joined other service members unfurling a large stadium flag on the field.
The ceremony had deep significance for Army National Guard Pvt. Joey Michel Molina, who hails from a military family.
“My father is a master sergeant in the Army,” Molina said. “I stand by my choice (to serve), my family supports me and I'm very proud to serve my country.”
Administering their oath of enlistment was New York Army National Guard Maj. Gen. Michel Natali, the assistant adjutant general for New York.
“It's very important for us to show our new Soldiers that they have a legacy,” Natali said. “The NFL has put some importance on this as well, which signifies how important our Soldiers are in the community.”
During a game television commercial break, Natali presented New York Army National Guard Spc. Chamiqua Loswijk a Minuteman Scholarship, recognizing Loswijk’s academic excellence.
Loswijk, assigned to Bravo Company of the 101st Expeditionary Signal Battalion, said taking the field for the scholarship presentation with tens of thousands of fans was amazing.
“This is actually my first ever football game,” Loswijk said.
“For it to be at this magnitude and have this level of importance is a very surreal experience. It's not a mundane thing or something to take for granted, it's very exciting to say the least, she said.
The Minuteman Scholarship of $35,000 was presented to Loswijk for her academic excellence and her pursuit of a master’s degree in Psychology.
She is enrolled in the City University of New York Army ROTC program and will commission as a second lieutenant in the spring of 2024.
Loswijk said that her commitment to service has been from her community of friends, family and fellow Soldiers who inspired her to join, to serve and to continue her education and career.
“Those people in your life who encourage, demand, and hold you to a higher standard; those people who push you and inspire you, if you listen to those people more often, we would just be better off,” she said.
The “Salute to Service” game saw the New York Jets defeat the Buffalo Bills 20-17 in an upset that Jets quarterback Zach Wilson credited as a “huge team win."
| Date Taken: | 11.06.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 11.08.2022 16:34 |
| Story ID: | 432919 |
| Location: | EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Web Views: | 142 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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