Today, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recognized Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones and Arizona Cardinals tight end Elijah Higgins for visiting troops abroad and carrying on their parents' legacy of service.
The secretary held a video teleconference from the Pentagon as they visited with members of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, in a USO-sponsored visit.
Each player comes from a family tradition of service. Jones' parents, Vurgess and the late Alvin Sr., both retired as Army sergeants major, having served for 27 and 29 years, respectively. His brother, Xavier, is an active-duty airman.
Higgins' father, George, retired from the Air Force as a senior master sergeant with 28 years of service. He was an electronic countermeasures avionics technician and recruiter who deployed three times to Afghanistan.
Hegseth noted the comfort football often brings when troops are deployed and said service members enjoy watching football on the Armed Forces Network.
"It's a game that we all love," he said. "It just gives you a little bit of a slice of home to turn the game on and feel like 'I'm connected to what folks in the states are doing.'" The secretary congratulated the two players, saying that kids whose parents serve, serve alongside them. He also encouraged them to put the troops through some NFL-level training and rigor to see if they could hang with them.
Jones said he grew up with the challenges of being a child of soldiers who deployed and frequently changed duty stations. He recalled on his own childhood experience when his parents were deployed to Iraq, and he saw firsthand the sacrifices made to serve one's country.
Both players said it was an honor to be with the service members.
Addressing recruiting and retention, Hegseth said both have surged since President Donald J. Trump took office. To keep the momentum going, troops need adequate pay and quarters.
He added that troops need meaningful training and exercises that contribute to greater lethality, and the Defense Department is in the process of eliminating procedures that don't focus on readiness.
"As much as we can, we're freeing up good training time," Hegseth said. "I think that's all troops really want to be doing," he said. "We want to restore the warrior ethos. We want to rebuild the military and reestablish deterrence. And what you are doing there is a part of that deterrence."
He said the troops serving in Kuwait are at the tip of the spear, and through their service they are executing the warrior ethos.
"We are part of rebuilding the military here in Washington to make sure we have the funding and the systems in your hands to do your job," Hegseth said. However, he said he is hopeful that through strength, the United States can establish deterrence to prevent conflict.
"You have an advocate here in the secretary's office for trying to see the world through that lens on your behalf and do right by you. You're not a number. You're an American who's raised your right hand to sign your life to defend the nation. We want to do everything we can to utilize you properly and then bring you home to your family as quickly as possible. So, thank you for everything you're doing," he added.