On the last day of training camp on Thursday, the Chiefs hosted local military members from Fort Leavenworth, Fort Riley and a few Air Force reservists representing the Rosecrans Air National Guard Base in St. Joseph, Mo. The group watched practice from the VIP tent before walking down to the sidelines of the practice field.
As the guests made their way onto the field, Chiefs fans stood up, applauded and cheered on the military members to let them know how thankful they were for their service.
Following practice, two of the men were recognized with a game ball on behalf of their stations. Specialist Jason Ortega from Fort Leavenworth and Specialist Joshua Rubio from Fort Riley were honored for their service, dedication and bravery.
"This was a very exciting experience; a lot of these guys have never been to training camp, so it's very exciting to be a part of the Chiefs family," Lieutenant Colonel Sean Ryan, Division of Public Affairs officer in Fort Riley, said. "It means a lot to us that the Chiefs fully support the military. The players were eager to meet us, which is weird because when you're overseas, we stay up to 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. to watch their games and it's awesome that they want to meet us."
Several Members of the US Military from Ft Riley and Ft Leavenworth visited camp and met with the players and coaches after practice on Thursday.
Head coach Andy Reid invited the group into the huddle after practice to introduce them to the team, award two game balls and thank the men and women for their service.
"Great to have the military out here and their support," Reid said. "We know and appreciate how much they do so we can do this. Not only the media, but also the fans and us as players and coaches so we appreciate it all."
The Chiefs were honored to host military members at training camp and appreciated the opportunity to thank the men and women who bravely serve our country.
"It's beyond a blessing to be at training camp; words can't explain what this means to us," Staff Sergeant David Beaton, from Fort Leavenworth, said. "While overseas, we stay up until all hours of the night to watch these guys on TV and now to actually meet them and talk with them, it's like being a kid in a candy store."
Chiefs fans stood up to cheer on and applaud our military! https://t.co/sFIKEBB0go — Rachel Santschi (@KCChiefs_Rachel) August 14, 2014
