Trent McDuffie, a Kansas City Chiefs cornerback, takes a group photo with Soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division and Estonian Army during the final day of Chiefs training camp at Spratt Memorial Stadium in Saint Joseph, Missouri, August 17, 2023. McDuffie relished the opportunity to spend time with the Soldiers in attendance, reflecting on his childhood where he had multiple generations of military family. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Joshua Holladay)
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Patrick Mahomes (center), the Kansas City Chiefs starting quarterback, takes a picture with U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Clarence Raby (right), the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley command sergeant major, and Estonian Army Command Sgt. Maj. Andreas Rebane (right), the command sergeant major of the Multi-National Defense-North, during the final day of the Kansas City Chiefs training camp at Spratt Memorial Stadium in Saint Joseph, Missouri, August 17, 2023. Raby attended the game as a representative of the Big Red One for the Chiefs Military Appreciation Day. Rebane attended the game alongside Raby as part of cultural exchange with the 1st Inf. Div. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Joshua Holladay)
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Gary Cross, a U.S. Army veteran, receives a game ball from the Kansas City Chiefs as a representative of the U.S. Army veterans at Spratt Memorial Stadium in Saint Joseph, Missouri, August 17, 2023. Cross, along with several veterans from other branches, received a game ball as a thank you from the Kansas City Chiefs on their annual Military Appreciation Day. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Joshua Holladay)
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Estonian Army Command Sgt. Maj. Andreas Rebane, the command sergeant major of the Multi-National Defense-North, speaks to a local resident attending the final day of the Kansas City Chiefs training camp at Spratt Memorial Stadium in Saint Joseph, Missouri, August 17, 2023. Rebane attended the final day of training camp and Military Appreciation Day with the 1st Infantry Division as part of a cultural immersion experience, where he was able to see how the local teams interact with Soldiers from the Big Red One. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Joshua Holladay)
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U.S. Army Sgt. Collin Modlin, a combat medic assigned to the 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, walks along an Army veteran during the Kansas City Chiefs Military Appreciation Day at Spratt Memorial Stadium in Saint Joseph, Missouri, August 17, 2023. Modlin attended the final day of training camp as a representative of the Big Red One, helping continue the regional relationship with the Kansas City Chiefs. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Joshua Holladay)
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SAINT JOSEPH, Missouri – The 1st Infantry Division visited the Kansas City Chiefs during their final day of training camp in Craig Field at Spratt Stadium on August 17, 2023.
The Big Red One joined the Kansas City Chiefs during their Military Appreciation Day as part of the ongoing regional relationship between the two. Several players and staff members spent the morning thanking service members and sharing their experiences with the military through an outside perspective.
“My dad and grandparents were military,” said Trent McDuffie, a cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs. “Just being around everyone today, where we only get to do this once a year, it’s just really cool.”
As a part of the northeast Kansas-Missouri community, the 1st Infantry has been continually building their professional relationship with the Chiefs both at the team’s home and on Fort Riley. Within the last year, the Chiefs staff has visited Fort Riley several times, being able to share experiences such as color guard duties, tours and flyovers at Arrowhead Stadium.
A child attempts a pull-up with assistance from Soldiers assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, outside of the Kansas City Chiefs final day of training camp at Spratt Memorial Stadium in Saint Joseph, Missouri, August 17, 2023. 1st ABCT attended the Chiefs final day of training camp and Military Appreciation Day to promote knowledge about the various career field that the United States Army has to offer. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Joshua Holladay)
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Five Soldiers were selected to attend the Chiefs’ final day of training camp. The Soldiers were sent to represent the noncommissioned officer corps and what Fort Riley sees as future and current leaders.
“I am extremely grateful,” Modlin said, U.S. Army Sgt. Collin Modlin, a combat medic assigned to the 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team 1st Inf. Div. “It’s an experience that I’m probably not going to have again, so I’m just grateful and honored to be able to be a part of this.”
U.S. Army Cpl. Brandon Clinton, a geospatial engineer assigned to the 1st Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade, 1st Inf. Div., shows his Kansas City Chiefs pride during the last day of training camp for the Kansas City Chiefs at Spratt Memorial Stadium in Saint Joseph, Missouri, August 17, 2023. Clinton attended the training camp as a representative of the noncommissioned officers for the Big Red One on the Kansas City Chiefs Military Appreciation Day. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Joshua Holladay)
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Alongside the Soldiers that were selected to represent the division, several Soldiers from the Big Red One’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team attended the event, where they presented a static display station that highlighted physical training, explosive ordnance disposal, and new-age military vehicles. They spent the day at the display sharing the opportunities that the Army has to offer for people looking for a military career.
Soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division and Estonian Army take a group photo with a family interacting with the joint-light tactical vehicle static display outside of the Kansas City Chiefs training camp at Spratt Memorial Stadium in Saint Joseph, Missouri, August 17, 2023. The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Inf. Div. operated the static display on the Chiefs Military Appreciation Day to promote knowledge about the various career opportunities that the United States Army has to offer. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Joshua Holladay)
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“We want to be a part of the community,” Modlin said. “We strive to maintain that relationship between the families, communities, and our Soldiers.”
Head coach Andy Reid spoke to the gathered service members during the game ball presentations and spoke about the honor of being able to serve the men and women that serve the country daily.
Andy Reid, the Kansas City Chiefs head coach, speaks about the honor it is to be able to have all of the United States military branches at the final day of the Chiefs training camp and Military Appreciation Day at Spratt Memorial Stadium in Saint Joseph, Missouri, August 17, 2023. The 1st Infantry Division represented the active duty component of the U.S. Army at the Chiefs training camp, where they sent five Soldiers to represent them on behalf of the division campaign, Year of the Noncommissioned Officer. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Joshua Holladay)
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“Presenting the game ball to our service members is the least we can do for our troops,” Reid said. “Leadership is vital to being a coach, but it is easier when examples from our forces show everyone what great leadership looks like.”
The event concluded with players such as McDuffie, Patrick Mahomes, Isiah Pacheco, Harrison Butker, and George Karlaftis signing memorabilia and take group photos with the service members in attendance.
“The community was very supportive of their service members,” Modlin said. “Seeing that support and how grateful they were for our service to our country is really motivating.”