Super Bowl Sunday, some treat it like a holiday, but when you are serving in the U.S. military it’s not much of a holiday — until now due to the efforts of Raytheon [NYSE: RTN]. Whether you’re stationed in a hostile area overseas in the mountains of Afghanistan, on warships in the middle of the Sea of Japan, or in submarines more than 800 feet below the surface, defense technology company Raytheon has partnered with the U.S. Air Force to make it possible for troops everywhere to watch the Super Bowl. Soldiers with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, watch Super Bowl XLII on a large projector screen during a party at the Striker Dining Facility here Feb. 4. Food, decorations and party favors were provided through the combined efforts of the DFAC workers and the 64th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div. family readiness group. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. April Campbell, 3rd BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B)
For the more than 350,000 troops deployed worldwide, getting to watch the game is a huge morale boost, and for a few hours on Super Bowl Sunday troops get to feel a little closer to home. But, for about 50,000 of the soldiers stationed in the world’s most remote locations, it is only made possible by the use of the Global Broadcast Service. This is the same satellite communications system that pumps live images from Predator and Warrior unmanned aerial vehicles from the battlefield to America’s commanders and warfighters!
