A sea of blue and green filled Fourth Avenue in Seattle on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, as nearly a million fans celebrated the Super Bowl LX champion Seattle Seahawks and the franchise’s second title. As in 2014, the Washington National Guard played an integral role in the historic victory parade.
While fans celebrated on a sunny Wednesday morning, the real work to get the parade set up happened in the days leading up to the event. Representatives from the Seahawks, Seafair, Joint Base Lewis-McChord and the Washington National Guard began staging vehicles in Lumen Field, getting the celebration ready for the eager fan base.
“The opportunity to work with Seafair was a new experience for me. It was great to make new connections and see how their team prepared, resourced and executed the large-scale event,” said Maj. Michelle Kelly, 181st Brigade Support Battalion and officer in charge for the event.
The morning of the festivities, Guardsmen arrived early, waiting inside Lumen Field by their vehicles. As the celebration kicked off, players and coaches addressed the crowd before loading into vehicles for the parade. This was more than a fan party — it was a massive, coordinated civic event that blended community pride with disciplined support from local and state partners.
“The vibe was amazing, the community showed love for the Seahawks and military team," said Kelly. "Many patrons were excited and thankful to have the military members present."
The Washington National Guard’s presence echoed a long-standing tradition of partnership with the Seattle Seahawks that stretches back to Seattle’s first Super Bowl championship in 2014. During that earlier victory parade, Guard members escorted the team through the crowd and helped ensure safe movement through downtown.
“To be a Seahawks season ticket holder since day one, and to be the battalion commander of the 181st Brigade Support Battalion and support the parade with our trucks and soldiers, as well as dozens of airmen from the Washington Air National Guard, was an incredible honor for all of us and one of the best missions of my 30-yearr military career,” said retired U.S. Army Col. Adam Iwaszuk, who was the officer in charge of the Guard support in 2014.
Just like 12 years ago, the Washington National Guard’s 10th Civil Support Team was working behind the scenes with first responders to ensure the safety of all participants, while Seattle Police coordinated to keep crowds safe and traffic moving.
“It was similar to what we do during games but with more coordination with Seattle Police and Fire,” said Maj. Jaymar Imperial, operations officer, 10th Civil Support Team. “The parade was pretty historic because of the amount of people who attended, which added to the complexity of how we operated. We were able to adjust with our local responders to ensure we kept everybody safe.”
For the Washington National Guard — whose members are often drawn from the very communities they serve — this parade was both a proud moment and a reminder of the tight-knit connection between military service and local identity in the Pacific Northwest.
“It is always great to be out in a positive light for the state,” said Sgt. 1st Class Rebecca Gines, medical operations non-commissioned officer with the 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team. “These last few years have been filled with the Guard supporting the state in times of emergencies. Sometimes it seems like it is kind of a dreadful feeling that things are bad. So to be asked by the Seahawks to have our National Guard out to get the players through the parade is a good feeling. The crowd was so positive, and it was great to see the city, and really the state for that matter, in celebration. It was a full vibe that you couldn’t help but join.”
As the Seahawks closed the procession and the crowd’s roar echoed off skyscrapers, the shared sense of unity between a team, its fans, and the organizations that helped carry their celebration underscored the deeper bond at the heart of Seattle’s championship moment. For the Guard members that were on hand to support the event, it was another day of supporting the community they have served for more than 170 years.
“Walking through the route and feeling the energy of the crowd was simply amazing and something I won’t forget,” commented Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh, the adjutant general, on his social media page. “Huge thanks to the Seafair and the Seahawks organizations to trust us to help them celebrate in style.”