BOOSTERS: Sea Hawkers have exclusive military wing

Lorin T. Smith/Northwest Guardian

SEATTLE — It would only take one screw-up and Master Sgt. Traci Williams would hear it from thousands of veterans attending Sunday’s Seattle Seahawks game at CenturyLink Field.

Military processionals are sacred to servicemembers, keen on catching a Soldier botch a facing movement or march out of step. The worst fear is a repeat of last year’s Super Bowl, when the singer got the lyrics wrong to the National Anthem.

That’s why it is Williams’ job as the Seattle Seahawks’ military liaison to ensure that all things military happened without a hitch Sunday and at every home game.

Williams is the founder of the Military Sea Hawkers, an offshoot of the team’s official Sea Hawkers booster club, which lets military members near and far away stay in touch with the Seahawks and provide year-round support to the team.

The Military Sea Hawkers provide members fun while supporting charities recognized by the Seahawks organization and players. Volunteers like Williams and Military Sea Hawkers Vice President of Communications and Membership Brandan Schulze devote countless hours to keeping the more than 500 club members updated about games and Seahawk-specific events.

For Sunday’s military appreciation game against the Baltimore Ravens, the Seahawks made 12 tickets available for Schulze to give to veterans.

Through emails, Facebook, Twitter and word-of-mouth, the Military Sea Hawkers community reached out to South Sound veterans and Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Naval Station Bremerton servicemembers to give away the tickets. Club members who can’t attend certain games donate tickets to the booster club all the time, Schulze said.

“People give me tickets to pass onto military members all the time,” he said, “and it’s happened every game this year so far.”

A simple question by Williams about re-enlisting on the field before the game led to the startup of the Military Sea Hawkers group eight years ago. Seahawks Vice President of Community Outreach Mike Flood agreed to the re-enlistment, but asked Williams for help with protocol. Word got out that re-enlistments were allowed at then Seahawks Stadium, and more requests came.

In response to the deluge of re-enlistment requests and the close proximity of Air Force, Army, Coast Guard and Navy installations to Seattle, Williams got approval from Flood to create a Sea Hawkers chapter specifically for the military.

“The Seahawks want to support the military in every way possible, so we thought a military booster club would be the easiest way,” Williams said.

Social networking has generated a wider net of military interest about the club. Schulze spends hours writing game synopses to email out to all members and post on the chapter’s Facebook page. He includes listings of when Seahawks games are shown on Armed Forces Network overseas and in combat locations.

“If you are stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan, it’s not like you have an AFN TV Guide you are looking at, but you might check your email,” Schulze said.

The Military Sea Hawkers’ special relationship with the team have helped the armed forces’ recruiting efforts. Before every game, fans are invited to look to the South End Zone to watch a re-enlistment, enlistment or commissioning ceremony.

“This is the best recruiting tool you can have,” Williams said.

The Seahawks benefit, too. As the team’s volunteer military liaison, Williams coordinates the Military Sea Hawkers Honor Guard, whose members march the colors onto the field each Sunday for the National Anthem. Having a senior NCO knowledgeable about military customs and courtesies keeps them from hearing thunderous “boos” after bungles, inevitable without her expertise.

She saved the Hawks a major protocol gaff, reversing the order of march when the staff had mistakenly directed that the 12th Man flag precede the American Flag onto the field. She explaned protocol dictates that the American Flag doesn’t follow any other.

“I try to take all the burden of the military stuff off of the Seahawks staff so that they don’t think that it’s too much of a burden to continue,” Williams said.

Part member drive, part meet-and-greet, the group gathered at Kings Street Bar and Oven near the stadium after the game to celebrate the Hawks’ 22-17 victory and watch the Sunday Night Football game on television. Sea Hawkers member Sgt. Chase Nilsen said it was a lot of fun to meet other fans who also served in the military.

“We try to come out to every home game and have a good time with each other,” he said. “This group is for people who are or have been in the military and are passionate about the Seahawks.”