Millions tuned in from sports bars and their living rooms on Sunday to watch Super Bowl LIX. At the same time, soldiers in C. Company, 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, were in the field training at Fort Stewart, Georgia, when their first sergeant surprised them with a watch party projected on the side of a Light Medium Tactical Vehicle.
The architect of this particular field-grade Super Bowl Sunday was 1st Sgt. James Welch, who picked up pizzas, pop, and game day snacks for the company under the guise of a chow run.
Keeping the watch party a surprise was important to Welch.
“Only a few headquarters staff knew, as we wanted to genuinely surprise our soldiers and show our appreciation in an unexpected way,” Welch said.
First highlighted by US Army W.T.F! Moments on Instagram, the soldiers had an unexpected interruption in training after finishing gunnery qualification, during which five crews qualified on the M1A2 Abrams tank and were about to start another round of training.
“Man, this was an incredible surprise,” Sgt. Matthew Brennan, a soldier in the unit, told Task & Purpose. “Training in the field can be rough, but suddenly seeing that projector set up against the LMTV and smelling those pizzas completely changed everything. It hits different when your leadership thinks about you like that.”
The makeshift theater was set up using Welch’s personal projector, laptop, and a reliable internet connection — being a company first sergeant has its perks, after all. The LMTV’s flat side served as an improvised movie screen.
“The setup was unreal! Seeing the projector coming to life against the LMTV — it felt like a real game day atmosphere. We all kicked back in our field chairs — completely different from our usual training environment,” Brennan said. “Never thought I’d be watching the Super Bowl in the field like that. So, for us, seeing everything come together was the highlight of the night for me.”
Building morale is crucial, especially during field training, Welch said. Serving in the Army leads to missed holidays and special occasions, something many who join find out pretty fast.
“Bringing that experience to our soldiers helps them stay connected despite being away from home,” Welch said. “So creating these shared experiences, even in the field, strengthens unit cohesion and reminds our soldiers they’re not forgotten. Surprising them with this celebration shows we recognize both their sacrifice and their humanity.”
For Welch and Brennan, both Eagles fans, it was particularly memorable.
“It shows that even in the field you can have these amazing moments that bring everyone together,” Brennan said.
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