Bucs and the military: Mark Anelli, Earnest Graham and Mark Jones had the opportunity to go on a midair refueling mission earlier this year
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will break camp on Thursday after one final full-scale workout that morning. On Saturday, the Buccaneers play their second preseason game at Raymond James Stadium, against the Miami Dolphins, and the following week they are expected to resume their practices at the team's brand new facility, just east of the stadium.
In between camp and the new facility, however, the Bucs have scheduled one additional stop: MacDill Air Force Base in South Tampa.
In an exciting and unprecedented move for the team, it will hold its day-before-game walk-through on the base, in front of hundreds of military personnel. It's a natural fit for the Buccaneers, who have a long-standing relationship and community partnership with the military at MacDill.
Friday's practice is closed to the general public, but it is open to a very passionate subset of its fans. That's because all military personnel on the base has been invited to attend the walk-through. All those who attend will stand right on the base's multi-purpose athletic field, lining the track that circles the grass. It is an opportunity for these dedicated defenders of America to get an up-close look at the 2006 Buccaneers, and a chance for the team to thank the men and women of the base for their service to the country.
The Bucs' Friday walk-through at MacDill will begin at 3:00 p.m. Such practices usually last approximately one hour and are the last bit of on-field preparation before a game.
The Bucs frequently invite members of the military to be guests at practices at their own facility. Buccaneer players and coaches have also been invited to the base on several occasions, where they have received high-clearance tours and hands-on introductions to military technology.
Next week, the Bucs are scheduled to move into their new facility after almost 31 years at their original headquarters, One Buccaneer Place. Their new home has already been hailed as the premier training facility in all of sports.
