Both Army and Navy unveiled alternate uniforms for their upcoming football matchup. The Black Knights and Midshipmen are set to square off Saturday, Dec. 11, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The contest marks the 122nd meeting of the two service academies. Navy leads the series 61-53-7.
It’s tradition that both teams sport alternate uniforms for the storied rivalry.
Army football’s duds honor Special Forces Operational Detachments Alphas (ODAs) from the 5th Special Forces Group.
United We Stand
https://t.co/EkKuPbML76#GoArmy pic.twitter.com/pH5h0Q8pAS
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) November 29, 2021
“In the immediate wake of the 9/11 attacks, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alphas (ODAs) from the 5th Special Forces Group were called upon to rapidly deploy from Fort Campbell, [Kentucky], to Afghanistan,” Army football’s website read. “These are the ODAs we honor with this year’s Army-Navy uniform — the ODAs of Task Force Dagger.”
Navy’s uniforms are a nod to naval aviation, more specifically, the F-18 Hornet.
Taking to the skies on December 11.
https://t.co/3b6lN0XsaJ#FlyNavy | #BeatArmy pic.twitter.com/4UFpmgZ4ZP
— Navy Athletics (@NavyAthletics) November 30, 2021
“Using one of the most famous Navy career paths as an inspiration, the 2021 “Fly Navy” uniform highlights classic American symbolism and the most utilized multirole fighter jet in air carrier aviation, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Unmatched across the globe, America’s fleet of 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers can deploy up to 44 of these strike fighters at a time; and with a massive arsenal of diverse firepower, the Super Hornet will remain the backbone of the carrier air wing well into the future,” reads Navy’s website.
The video Navy Athletics released introducing the 2021 Army-Navy uniforms was filmed on the USS George H.W. Bush, the only aircraft carrier named for a naval aviator.
Three Navy football players received Navy Pilot or Naval Flight Officer as their Service Assignment.
Kickoff for the Army-Navy game is 3 p.m. EST on CBS.
