The Seattle Seahawks wish a Happy New Year to our local units of the United States Armed Forces. The players, coaches, staff and 12th Man appreciate your service to our country. Special recognition goes to Master Sergeant Traci Williams who led our US Military Sea Hawkers Color Guard, and members of all branches of our Armed Forces who presented the colors before each home game.  Master Sergeant Williams was also an honorary flag runner on Military Appreciation Day and led the Seahawks onto the field with great pride! The playoff game versus the Saints brought out the best in the 12th Man and a special thank you goes to Virginia Mason Medical Center for donating their suite that game to the Warrior Transition Battalion & Safe Harbor.

Some more highlights from 2010 include:

Game-day Reenlistments 
For the 12th straight year, the Seahawks continued their home game tradition of military reenlistments. The reenlistment oath is administered in the south end zone about 30 minutes prior to kickoff while the teams warm-up in the background.

Military Appreciation Day and Buck Compton
November 7th was Military Appreciation Day and one of the most memorable tributes in Seahawks history. Members of the Delta Blues band from Joint Base Lewis-McChord sung the National Anthem and former Gun’s and Roses bass player Duff McKagan’s band Loaded dedicated their halftime show to the 1,000+ U.S. veterans, active duty, and reserve military members along with their families who were invited to parade around the field during the show.  The 12th Man gave them a standing ovation for the entire parade.

Retired First Lieutenant Lynn “Buck” Compton raised the 12th Man Flag.  Compton was a star athlete at UCLA playing baseball alongside Jackie Robinson and football in the Rose Bowl.  In World War II, he was a commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army.  HBO’s hit series Band of Brothers was based off the experiences of Easy Company.  Compton received many honors including the Silver Star and Purple Heart.  After retiring from the military he earned a law degree and continued to serve for the Los Angeles Police Department before joining the District Attorney’s office.  Compton was the lead prosecutor in Sirhan Sirhan’s trial for the murder of Robert F. Kennedy and later retired as a California Court of Appeals Judge.   
 
Visits and Donations
Seahawks players, staff, mascot Blitz, Blue Thunder drumline, and the Sea Gals made service-related appearances throughout the year including visits to the Seattle and American Lake VA Medical Centers as well as Blue Thunder marching in Auburn’s Veterans Day Parade.  The Seahawks continue to donate game tickets and auction items to service support organizations such as USO Puget Sound, Camp Patriot, Fisher House, Friends of the Fallen, and the Association of Washington Generals.