Yellow Ribbon Program

nbaplatformservices

Yellow Ribbon | Benjamin and Samantha Christopher - 11/23/19

yellow-ribbon-benjamin-and-samantha-christopher-11-23-19

Quinton Wash

November 22, 2019 – The Charlotte Hornets and Bank of America tomorrow will honor Staff Sergeant Samantha Christopher, USMC, and Sergeant Benjamin Christopher, USMC, Ret., a husband-and-wife duo who were both awarded the Purple Heart for injuries sustained two weeks apart in 2013 while serving in Afghanistan, as this season’s first recipients of the season-long Yellow Ribbon Program. In partnership with Bank of America, the Hornets honor military service members and veterans for their unwavering service to our country and their impact in the community. The Yellow Ribbon Program recognizes these heroes during Hornets home games throughout the season.  Recipients are acknowledged prior to the national anthem and during an on-court presentation, and given six tickets to the game.  In addition, the Hornets make a $1,000 donation to their charity of choice. Staff Sergeant Samantha Christopher and Sergeant Benjamin Christopher have selected Purple Heart Homes.

“Staff Sergeant Samantha Christopher and Sergeant Benjamin Christopher have an incredible story to tell and deserve our gratitude for putting their lives on the line for our country,” said Hornets Sports & Entertainment President & Vice Chairman Fred Whitfield.  “For them to have both suffered serious brain injuries in IED attacks two weeks apart, both received the Purple Heart, and both recovered to spend their lives together is a testament to their commitment to their country and to each other.”

Staff Sergeant Samantha Christopher and Sergeant Benjamin Christopher enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at the ages of 20 and 18, respectively.  They both completed boot camp at Parris Island, along with Marine Combat Training and Motor Transport Operator Training, and were assigned to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, where they were attached to Combat Logistics Battalion 8 and deployed to Afghanistan six months later.  Both returned from deployment in August 2011, at which time they took on roles in leadership and training that included running remotely operated weapon systems and training Marines on vehicle rollovers.  Sergeant Benjamin Christopher also attended Marine Corps Martial Arts Instructor School (MAI) and Machine Gun Instructor School.

Both were again deployed to Afghanistan for a second tour of duty in early 2013.  On April 21, 2013, Staff Sergeant Samantha Christopher and her truck team were struck by an IED while traveling between bases on a resupply mission.  She suffered a traumatic brain injury, along with a number of other wounds, for which she was later awarded the Purple Heart.  Two weeks later, on May 5, 2013, Sergeant Benjamin Christopher was serving as security team leader and machine gun noncommissioned officer (NCO) for his platoon when his truck team was struck by IEDs.  He too suffered a traumatic brain injury and was later awarded the Purple Heart.

Later in 2013, after returning from their second deployment and having served alongside one another for more than four years, Staff Sergeant Samantha Christopher and Sergeant Benjamin Christopher were married.  Staff Sergeant Samantha Christopher served an additional five years with the Marine Corps Reserves.  She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from UNC Charlotte in 2018 and is currently working toward a bachelor’s degree in nursing at Gardner-Webb University.  Sergeant Benjamin Christopher works as an HVAC installer.  Earlier this year, the Christopher family moved to Grover, North Carolina, where he started a fishing business on their property called Christopher’s Carp Lake.

Last season’s Yellow Ribbon honorees were Command Sergeant Major Steven Johnson, USA, Ret.; Colonel Cristina Moore, North Carolina Army National Guard; Lieutenant Colonel Michael Krueger, USAF, Ret.; and Senior Master Sergeant Melvin Barnes, USAF, Ret. To nominate a military service member or veteran for the Yellow Ribbon Program, please visit hornets.com/community/military.

hornets-bank-of-america-to-honor-staff-sergeant-samantha-christopher-usmc-and-sergeant-benjamin-christopher-usmc-ret-as-first-yellow-ribbon-recipients-of-2019-20-season

Hornets, Bank of America To Honor Staff Sergeant Samantha Christopher, USMC, and Sergeant  Benjamin Christopher, USMC, RET., As First Yellow Ribbon Recipients of 2019-20 Season

2019-20-yellow-ribbon-recipients-gallery

2019-20 Yellow Ribbon Recipients Gallery

yellow-ribbon-steven-johnson-4-10-19

Yellow Ribbon | Steven Johnson - 4/10/19

yellow-ribbon-melvin-barnes-2-2-19

Yellow Ribbon | Melvin Barnes - 2/2/19

February 1, 2019 – The Charlotte Hornets and Bank of America tomorrow will honor Senior Master Sergeant Melvin Barnes, USAF, Ret., as this season’s third recipient of the season-long Yellow Ribbon Program.  In partnership with Bank of America, the Hornets honor military service members and veterans for their unwavering service to our country and their impact in the community.  The Yellow Ribbon Program recognizes one of these heroes during Hornets home games throughout the season.  Recipients are acknowledged prior to the national anthem and during an on-court presentation at halftime and given six tickets to the game.  In addition, the Hornets make a $1,000 donation to his or her charity of choice.  Senior Master Sergeant Barnes has selected the Tarheel ChalleNGe Academy in New London, North Carolina, which is a military-style school for at-risk teens sponsored by the North Carolina National Guard.

“We are honored to recognize Senior Master Sergeant Barnes for his 37 years of protecting our country,” said Hornets Sports & Entertainment President & Vice Chairman Fred Whitfield.  “We thank him for his service during his career and for his efforts today helping at-risk teens and others in our community.”

Senior Master Sergeant Barnes enlisted in 1978 and spent 37 years serving his country in the Air Force and the North Carolina Air National Guard, mostly dealing with hazardous materials and warehousing.  He developed and implemented short-term and long-term strategic plans, including inventory and purchasing control systems that improved accountability for hazardous materials, waste reduction and sustainability.  Stationed at various bases throughout the country, Senior Master Sergeant Barnes served as a technical advisor to the Wing Commander regarding the hazardous materials program and related issues, and as an advisor to the Safety Counsel, in addition to being a member of Hazmat Planning Teams and Environmental Protection Committees.  He also implemented and managed base Hazmat Pharmacy programs, developed base regulations and procedures around Hazmat requirements, conducted Hazmat training for base personnel and managed the Hazmat/Ozone Depletion System that tracks hazardous materials for deployments and redeployments.

For his distinguished service, Senior Master Sergeant Barnes received the Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, Air Force Meritorious Unit Award, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (4th Award), Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal (11th Award), Armed Forces Reserve Medal (2nd Award), National Defense Service Medal (2nd Award), Humanitarian Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon, Air Force Longevity Service Award (8th Award), Air Force NCO PME Graduate Ribbon, Air Force Training Ribbon, North Carolina National Guard Achievement Medal, North Carolina National Guard State Active Duty Award, North Carolina National Guard Service Ribbon (5th Award) and North Carolina National Guard Meritorious Unit Citation.

A native of Concord, NC, Senior Master Sergeant Barnes currently serves as the regional director of the USAF Graduate Association and as the logistics manager at the Tarheel ChalleNGe Academy in New London, NC, where he is also a member of the disciplinary board and a mentor to many of the students. In addition, Senior Master Sergeant Barnes is active in a number of non-profit organizations within the community, including Susan G. Komen Charlotte, United Way of Central Carolinas and various church leadership roles.

This season’s previous Yellow Ribbon honorees were Colonel Cristina Moore, North Carolina Army National Guard; and Lieutenant Colonel Michael Krueger, USAF, Ret. To nominate a military service member or veteran for the Yellow Ribbon Program, please visit hornets.com/community/military.

hornets-bank-of-america-to-honor-senior-master-sergeant-melvin-barnes-as-third-yellow-ribbon-recipient-of-2018-19-season

Hornets, Bank of America To Honor Senior Master Sergeant Melvin Barnes As Third Yellow Ribbon Recipient of 2018-19 Season

January 17, 2019 – The Charlotte Hornets and Bank of America tonight will honor Lieutenant Colonel Michael Krueger, USAF, Ret., as this season’s second recipient of the season-long Yellow Ribbon Program. In partnership with Bank of America, the Hornets honor military service members and veterans for their unwavering service to our country and their impact in the community.  The Yellow Ribbon Program recognizes one of these heroes during Hornets home games throughout the season. Recipients are recognized prior to the national anthem and during an on-court presentation at halftime and given six tickets to the game. In addition, the Hornets make a $1,000 donation to his or her charity of choice.  Lieutenant Colonel Krueger has selected Veterans Bridge Home as his charity.

“Lieutenant Colonel Krueger devoted 21 years of his life to protecting our country, and since then, he has given even more time to assisting his fellow veterans,” said Hornets Sports & Entertainment President & Vice Chairman Fred Whitfield. “It is our honor to recognize him for his service both during his Air Force career and now in the Charlotte community.”

After enlisting in the Air Force in 1991, Lieutenant Colonel Krueger spent two years at Osan Air Base in Korea and four years at Aviano Air Base in Italy before returning stateside in 1999 as Chief of Weapons and Tactics at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, where he managed the weapons and tactics program for Air Battle Manager School to ensure instructor and student proficiency.  In 2001, he returned to Aviano Air Base as Director of Operations, overseeing the readiness and mission effectiveness of a 65-person Operations Directorate.

From 2008-2010, Lieutenant Colonel Krueger was assigned to Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma as Squadron Commander, where he led a 36-person squadron comprised of 12 different specialties and was responsible for operations, maintenance and logistics support for four geographically separated, mobile command and control squadrons.  During his final two years on active duty before retiring in 2012, he served as Requirements Bureau Chief at Langley Air Force Base.  In that role he led a team of military, government civilians and contractors to integrate technology, including Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) infrastructure and virtualization, into the $1.4B Air Operations Center.

For his distinguished service, Lieutenant Colonel Krueger has received the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (4th Award), Air Force Commendation Medal (3rd Award), Air Force Meritorious Unit Award (2nd Award), Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (5th Award), Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, Combat Readiness Medal (2nd Award), Korean Defense Service Medal and Iraqi Campaign Medal.

A native of Charlotte, Lieutenant Colonel Krueger returned to his hometown and currently works as real estate agent.  He is a board member at the Harris YMCA and is very active with their events, including the Krueger Reindeer Romp 5K, which is named after his late father. He is also a Boy Scouts of America Den Lead and committee member. In addition, Lieutenant Colonel Krueger supports a number of causes related to veterans.  In addition to personally helping transitioning service members and their families, he has started employment and networking groups for veterans both in Ballantyne and Uptown Charlotte.  He also volunteers for several nonprofits, including Veterans Bridge Home and Suit Up Charlotte

This season’s previous Yellow Ribbon honoree was Colonel Cristina Moore, North Carolina Army National Guard.  To nominate a military service member or veteran for the Yellow Ribbon Program, please visit hornets.com/community/military.

Yellow Ribbon Program

Yellow Ribbon | Benjamin and Samantha Christopher - 11/23/19

Hornets, Bank of America To Honor Staff Sergeant Samantha Christopher, USMC, and Sergeant Benjamin Christopher, USMC, RET., As First Yellow Ribbon Recipients of 2019-20 Season

2019-20 Yellow Ribbon Recipients Gallery

Yellow Ribbon | Steven Johnson - 4/10/19

Yellow Ribbon | Melvin Barnes - 2/2/19

Hornets, Bank of America To Honor Senior Master Sergeant Melvin Barnes As Third Yellow Ribbon Recipient of 2018-19 Season

Hornets, Bank of America To Honor Lieutenant Colonel Michael Krueger, USAF, Ret., As Second Yellow Ribbon Recipient of Season

2018-19 Yellow Ribbon Recipients Gallery