Photo By Staff Sgt. Shawn Morris | Lt. Col. Christopher Carbone displays his team spirit after being selected by the...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. – Two-time Purple Heart recipient and Bayville resident Christopher Carbone has been selected by the National Football League’s New York Jets as the “Veteran of the Game” for an upcoming Monday night matchup.
Carbone, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, currently serves as chief of operations for the 99th Readiness Division’s Mission Command Support Group stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
“I’ve been blessed to have worked here (at the 99th Readiness Division) and at the 78th Training Division, paying back those who got me ready for my five deployments,” said Carbone, who also served for 13 years as a police officer in Wayne.
Carbone was surprised with the news of his selection by Steven A. Castleton, N.Y. Jets military and first responder liaison, who called into a Sept. 18 staff meeting at Division headquarters to reveal the news.
“We would be honored for you to be our Veteran of the Game for our Oct. 14 game against the Buffalo Bills,” Castleton said to Carbone as the latter’s fellow Soldiers broke into applause.
Carbone is the recipient of two Purple Hearts for injuries sustained in 2005 in Iraq and 2011 in Afghanistan. He has also been awarded the Army Commendation Medal with Valor, two Bronze Stars, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Combat Action Badge.
“It was rough, it was honorable, and it was awesome,” said Carbone of his time serving overseas, often in harm’s way. “I got the greatest gift this country could ever give someone – I got to lead her sons and daughters in combat. I was trusted with that.”
The N.Y. Jets’ Veteran of the Game program is part of the NFL’s Salute to Service Initiative. Each year, the NFL and its 32 teams honor and support service members, veterans, and their families by means of this initiative, which represents the NFL's unwavering dedication to honoring, empowering, and connecting service members, veterans, and their families.
“I set up a program several years ago for the Jets called our Veteran of the Game Program,” Castleton explained. “We do this between the first and second quarter of every game. During that time, we actually bring a veteran out, all alone on the field, in front of 80,000 fans.”
Previous honorees have included World War II Purple Heart recipients, numerous Bronze Star recipients, honorees who have been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Wounded Warriors and many more deserving nominees.
| Date Taken: | 09.27.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.27.2024 08:57 |
| Story ID: | 481926 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Web Views: | 181 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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