March 29, 2024
Annapolis, US 49 F

Sergeant Major Battaglia to be Grand Marshal of Military Bowl Parade

milbowlhelmetsThe Military Bowl® presented by Northrop Grumman, benefiting the USO, announced today that Sergeant Major Bryan B. Battaglia, the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the senior non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Armed Forces, will return as the Grand Marshal of the Military Bowl Parade on Saturday, Dec. 27.

Led by the world-famous Clydesdales, the parade begins in downtown Annapolis near City Dock at 9 a.m. and will follow the tail end of the Military Bowl 5K race. The route proceeds up Main Street before eventually working its way to Rowe Boulevard and concluding on Taylor Avenue adjacent to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

Sergeant Major Bryan B. Battaglia, the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Sergeant Major Bryan B. Battaglia, the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

The Military Bowl between Virginia Tech and the University of Cincinnati begins at 1 p.m. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN. Tickets are available by calling 888-841-2787 or visiting militarybowl.org. The box office will open at 10 a.m. on gameday.

“We are excited and honored that Sergeant Major Battaglia is returning to serve as the parade’s Grand Marshal,” Military Bowl President & Executive Director Steve Beck said. “Last year’s parade was an unqualified success and this year’s parade will be bigger and better.”

Battaglia, 53, joined the Marine Corps in 1979. He serves as the principal military advisor to the Chairman and the Secretary of Defense on all matters involving joint and combined total force integration, utilization, health of the force and joint development for enlisted personnel.

In addition to the Clydesdales, the parade will feature bands, cheerleaders, color guards and other performers, as well as several recipients of the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military honor, which is given for personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty. For the first time, the Washington Nationals Racing Presidents will join other mascots in the parade.

Mercedes-Benz of Annapolis is the official vehicle provider for the parade and WRNR-FM will provide an emcee for the parade.

Parade spectators are encouraged to park in the Annapolis public parking garages: Gotts Court Parking Garage (25 Northwest Street), Knighton Parking Garage (1A Colonial Avenue), Park Place (5 Park Place). Spectators can take a free Circulator trolley to get around the downtown area on gameday. This trolley will only run from Park Place Garage along West Street to downtown Annapolis, at Church Circle, picking up people along the way.

The parade will conclude at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, where spectators can join the Official Tailgate Party that begins at 9 a.m. in the Blue Lot on the stadium’s west side. Admission to the tailgate also is free, and food and beverages will be available for purchase.

The tailgate features a DJ and live music from the popular local country music band Brady J & the Reaction. Budweiser Build-A-Bars and the Clydesdales will help round out the pregame party.

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