The Bears were proud to partner with The Boeing Company again in 2016 to present the Bears/The Boeing Company Military Salute. At each Bears home game, a deserving member of the military was honored during an on-field recognition in the third quarter. The Military Salute provides the opportunity for the Bears, The Boeing Company and our great fans to give thanks and show support to the brave men and women who protect our country and to also honor the history and heritage of Soldier Field. Tickets for the military representative and their guests were generously provided by linebacker Jerrell Freeman through his participation in the Bears "Home Team Hand-Off" ticket donation program. The Boeing Company is a Proud Partner of the Chicago Bears.
The Bears and The Boeing Company were pleased to honor the following current military members and veterans during the 2016 season:
August 11, 2016 (Bears vs. Denver Broncos) - SgtMaj Shawn Isaacson. SgtMaj Isaacson has been on active duty for over 24 years. He has deployed twice to Iraq and spent 6 years of his career working with the Department of State guarding American Embassies. He is currently the Sergeant Major for Marine Air Control Group - 48 headquartered here in Great Lakes.
August 27, 2016 (Bears vs. Kansas City Chiefs) - Hospital Corpsman Second Class Vanessa Perez. Sailor Perez recently returned from a 6-month deployment to Naval Base Guantanamo Bay. She has delivered behavioral and mental health care in support of operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the War on Terror.
September 19, 2016 (Bears vs. Philadelphia Eagles) - Master Sergeant Lucas Lynn. Master Sergeant Lynn is among the more than 13,000 Airmen and Soldiers who serve state and nation in the Illinois National Guard. He was recently deployed in Kuwait with the 182nd Airlift Wing.
October 2, 2016 (Bears vs. Detroit Lions) - Specialist Andrew Price. After enlisting in the U.S. Army Reserve in August 2013 as a Military Police Officer, Specialist Price deployed with the eight-fourteenth to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in May, 2015. His awards include The Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, and Armed Forces Reserve Medal with M" device.
October 16, 2016 (Bears vs. Jacksonville Jaguars) - Seaman Amanda Wolf. Seaman Wolf has served at Coast Guard Station Wilmette Harbor for 4 years. She has been part of countless law enforcement and search and rescue missions, as well as playing an enormous role in the community by volunteering at the Shriners Children's Hospital, Special Olympics and YMCA where she teaches children about water and boating safety.
Sergeant Tansley was the military member honored during an on-field recognition October 31, 2016 when the Bears faced the Vikings.
October 31, 2016 (Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings) - Sergeant Jared Tansley. Sergeant Tansley, a native of Sycamore, IL was the U.S. Army's Soldier of the Year for 2015 and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2013 as an Infantryman. He was stationed in Germany where he was named Best Warrior in U.S. Army Europe and then went on to compete at Department of the Army level – where he won the title of Soldier of the Year after a grueling competition testing his mental and physical endurance. Sergeant Tansley embodies the Army's warrior ethos -he always places the mission first; he never accepts defeat and he never quits. Sergeant Tansley is currently stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky where he serves with the 101st Airborne Division.
November 27, 2016 (Bears vs. Tennessee Titans) - Marvin Jacobs. As a proud American, Marvin Jacobs enlisted in the military on April 3, 1943 and was immediately sent to Camp Sibert in Gadston, Alabama, where he received his basic military training along with specialized chemical weapons training. Upon completion of his training at Camp Sibert, Mr. Jacobs was sent to Boston University where he was selected to participate in a specialized engineering program. In August 1944, Mr. Jacobs was deployed to the European combat theater where he saw active duty in parachute assault operations behind enemy lines as a Paratrooper in the 17th Airborne Division. In late 1945, Mr. Jacobs was injured in Belgium in the famous Battle of the Bulge where he spent four months recuperating and was awarded the Purple Heart.
After his recovery, Mr. Jacobs joined the renowned 82nd Airborne Division where he was sent to Berlin as part of the initiative to begin the rebuilding process, where his duties included the liberation of Prisoner of War Camps and German Concentration Camps. While in Berlin, a healthy Mr. Jacobs rekindled his love for the game of football as a left guard and linebacker for the Army Football Team. A love of the game that stemmed from being a two-way high school football standout in Chicago, including playing in two Championship Games in Soldier Field.
December 4, 2016 (Bears vs. San Francisco 49ers) - Hospital Corpsman Third Class Petty Officer Joshua Tenborg. Petty Officer Tenborg, of the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, North Chicago, Illinois, recently returned from a 9-month deployment where he was assigned as a Behavioral Health Technician in support of Joint Task Force/Joint Medical Group, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his performance of 125 routine and emergency medical procedures and his meticulous review of 42 medical treatment records to ensure proper treatment documentation. Petty Officer Tenborg is among more than 330,000 Active Duty Sailors serving in the United States Navy.
December 18, 2016 (Bears vs. Green Bay Packers) - United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Andrew Lowery. Ssgt Lowery, from Plainfield, IL enlisted in the Marine Corps in August 2007. An infantry mortar man by trade, he served with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion 1st Marines, and Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion 5th Marines, where he deployed three times in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and conducted international security operations in the Pacific Theater with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. His personal decorations include three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals and the Combat Action Ribbon. He is currently serving as a member of Recruiting Station Chicago where he was recently recognized as Chicago's Marine Corps Recruiter of the Year 2016.
December 24, 2016 (Bears vs. Washington Redskins) - Sergeant First Class Michael Sass. SFC Sass, of the Illinois Army National Guard's Bilateral Embedded Staff Team, recently returned from a 7-month deployment where he served as the Supply NCO at BAGRAM AIRBASE in Afghanistan. SFC Sass provided supply and logistics support the Polish Military Contingent, Task Force White Eagle in Afghanistan, and was responsible for the maintenance and retrograde of U.S. equipment. This was SFC Sass's third deployment having served previously in Iraq and Afghanistan. SFC Sass is among more than 13,000 Airmen and Soldiers who serve both their state and nation in the Illinois National Guard.
