Twins to Hold Armed Forces Appreciation Day at Target Field

The Minnesota Twins have announced their plans for Armed Forces Appreciation Day, which is scheduled for Sunday, July 7 at Target Field.

According to TwinsBaseball.com, pregame elements will begin at 12:20 p.m. and will include:

• A parachute drop from the U.S. Army Special Operations Command’s Black Daggers Parachute Team, who will jump from a C-130 Hercules flown by the Minnesota National Guard’s 113rd Airlift Wing.
• A salute to Families of the Fallen, represented by Trevor Oliver, whose father, Staff Sgt. Travis Atkins of Coon Rapids, was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroics on June 1, 2007. While deployed in Iraq, Atkins was killed when he threw himself on top of a suicide bomber, sacrificing his own life to save three of his fellow soldiers.
• On-field ceremony recognizing several Minnesota veterans who served in World War II.
• Minnesotans’ Military Appreciation Fund (MMAF) Grants will be awarded to the following:  (1) Corporal Nathan Polansky of the 851st vertical Engineering Company, Minnesota Army National Guard, who recently returned home from deployment in Jordan and Kuwait. (2) Specialist Cole Barthel, also of the 851st vertical Engineering Company, Minnesota Army National Guard, who recently returned home from deployment in Kuwait and Afghanistan.  (3) Commander Todd Ladwig, who served in Electronic Attack Squadron 131, U.S. Navy from 1998 to 2018, including deployments to the Persian Gulf, Qatar and Afghanistan.  (4) Captain Emily Applen of the 109th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Minnesota Air National Guard, who recently returned home from deployment in Qatar, Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Thomson Reuters will honor their military and veteran employees.
• Twins and Rangers players will be joined on the baselines for the National Anthem by members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, along with members of JROTC programs from Park High School (Cottage Grove), Cretin-Derham Hall High School (St. Paul), Johnson Senior High School (St. Paul) and Como Park High School (St. Paul).
• A giant American flag will be unfurled by current service members, along with Twins employees who are veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.
• The Twins Territory flag will be raised by Seth, Joey and Ruby Bell, children of Sergeant 1st Class Andrew Bell, currently deployed to Kuwait.
• The American flag will be raised by Captain Andrew Bundermann, a Distinguished Service Cross recipient for his efforts during the Battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan on October 3, 2009.
• The Perkins Starting Lineup will consist of the spouses of nine Minnesota National Guard service members currently deployed with the 34th Infantry Division to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
• The National Anthem will be performed by Army airborne ranger and veteran Jerod Thompson, and lead guitarist Todd Owen of JT & The Gunslingers.
• A flyover will feature a C-130 Hercules from the Minnesota National Guard’s 133rd Airlift Wing.
• Pregame and in-game performances by the Red Devil Rock Band from the third-floor balcony.

Then it’ll be time for baseball as the Twins battle the Texas Rangers.