First-year cadets selected to receive the flags at the Western Michigan game
The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets and the Virginia Tech football team continue their partnership to highlight the colors during the pre-game ceremony at every football game.
Three football players are selected, because of their performance in the last game or during practice, to carry the American flag, the state flag, and the team’s spirit flag as they lead the team onto the field. They carry the flags the length of the field and deliver them to cadets at the south end of the field.
The cadets performing this honor are also selected based on their performance during their training. The cadets render honor to the flags and then securely carry them off the field. At home games three first-year cadets are selected and one or two upper-class cadets travel with the team and receive the flags at away games.
Three first-year cadets were selected to perform this duty for the Western Michigan game based on the recommendations of the cadets in their chain-of-command. Each cadet was highlighted for their high level of effort and performance during the beginning of the semester.
The cadets selected for this honor are Cadet Paul Aanestad of Annandale, Virginia, a freshman majoring in general engineering from the College of Engineering from India Company in Third Battalion who is a member of Naval ROTC; Cadet Zachary Toothman of Chesapeake, Virginia, a freshman majoring in biochemistry in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences from Band Company, Section A in Third Battalion who is a member of Naval ROTC; and Cadet Precious Abayesu of Kigali, Rwanda, a freshman majoring in statistics in the College of Science from Band Company, Section B in Third Battalion who is a member of Air Force ROTC. All three cadets are recipients of the Emerging Leader Scholarship.
Future cadets will continue to be selected for this honor based on their performance in the cadet regiment. The program is part of the proud partnership the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets has with the Virginia Tech Athletic Department and the Virginia Tech football team.
