How US Service Members and Veterans Can Watch Live Olympic Games Coverage for Free

An Olympic Torchbearer walks holding the Paris 2024 Olympic Flame through the streets of Sainte Mere Eglise, Normandy, France., May 31, 2024. (U.S. Army/Sgt. 1st Class Austin Berner)

Military.com | By Blake Stilwell

Published July 23, 2024 at 11:53am ET

The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris are set to be the most comprehensively covered Olympic Games ever. Three hours of Olympic competition will dominate NBC’s primetime schedule, capping off nine hours of coverage across all NBCUniversal networks during the day. Peacock, NBC’s streaming service, will stream nearly every moment, including all 39 sports and 329 medal events, and will feature full event replays.

This unprecedented coverage is good news for service members, retirees, family members and honorably discharged veterans, and anyone authorized to shop at the AAFES Exchange online for one simple reason: They’ll be able to watch all of it for free.

The Paris Games run between July 26 and August 11, and during that period, users will be able to access NBC’s unparalleled Olympic coverage on desktop computers and mobile devices through their access to the AAFES Exchange website, ShopMyExchange.com.

U.S. Army Sgt. Ivan Roe is one of ten U.S. military service members competing in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Roe earned a spot on the 2024 Paris Olympic Team in the Men's 10-meter Air Rifle event. (U.S. Army/Lt. Col. Michelle Lunato

Since becoming in 2000 the sole broadcaster to provide coverage of the Olympic Games, NBC and its now-parent company, Comcast NBC Universal, go all out to bring the Olympics to U.S. viewers. On top of the broadcast and streaming programming schedules, live coverage of the Opening Ceremonies will be available in more than 150 IMAX theaters across the United States.

To access this coverage, eligible military-connected sports fans can log into the NBC Olympics website or the NBC Sports app. After choosing the event they want to watch, they will be prompted to select a service provider. Here, they can choose the Exchange and enter their login information from the ShopMyExchange site.

Those authorized to access AAFES Exchange services (view the full list of Exchange eligibility here) can view Olympic coverage in the U.S. Those who are overseas will have to use a U.S. military site with internet service from an AAFES authorized provider.

Anyone willing to pay for access to Peacock has another, entirely new way to watch the Olympic Games. For the first time, NBC will offer the Gold Zone channel from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time. Similar to NFL’s RedZone coverage, Gold Zone will jump viewers around to the most consequential parts of the Paris Olympics. With up to 40 events happening simultaneously, the Gold Zone is probably the most efficient and entertaining way to avoid missing any of the Games’ memorable moments. It’s even hosted by NFL RedZone host Scott Hanson. It is not included with the free AAFES access, however.

Viewers watching the Olympics with free AAFES access may want to cheer on the ten military members from Team USA, all from the U.S. Army, who will be competing in both the Olympic Games and Paralympics this year. Two more will be coaching teams.

• Spc. Kamal Bey, Greco-Roman Wrestling (77 kg)

• Staff Sgt. Will Hinton, Shooting: Olympic Trap

• Staff Sgt. Leonard E. Korir, Track and Field: Marathon

• Sgt. 1st Class John Joss III, Paralympic Shooting

• Sgt. Sagen Maddalena, Shooting: 50m Smallbore and 10m Air Rifle

• Sgt. 1st Class Elizabeth Marks, Paralympic Swimming

• Staff Sgt. Kevin Nguyen, Paralympic Shooting

• Sgt. Ivan Roe, Shooting: 50m Smallbore and 10m Air Rifle

• Capt. Samantha K. Sullivan, Women’s Rugby

• Staff Sgt. Rachel Tozier, Shooting: Olympic Trap

• Master Sgt. Dennis Bowsher, Modern Pentathlon Coach

• Sgt. 1st Class Spenser Mango, Wrestling Coach

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Honor Flights from West Coast of Florida

Several Honor Flights have been scheduled for this year: Mission 51 Tuesday September 10 and Mission 52 Tuesday October 22. These are all day up and back trips to visit all the Military Monuments in Washington DC. It is completely free and worth the effort. These are leaving from the west coast of Florida but there are many others. Call (727) 498-6079 for more information. July 4^th is an interesting holiday. We celebrate our independence that day but it wasn’t until 5 bloody years later when Cornwallis surrendered to Washington at Yorktown that they deal was done. God bless all our troops on both sides.

K-46A , 45 hour nonstop

45-hour nonstop KC-46A flight sets standard for Air Force ops

Refuelling support was pre-positioned at various global locations, including Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and RAF Mildenhall in England.

Harry McNeilJuly 2, 2024

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On July 1, 2024, a McConnell Air Force Base KC-135R Stratotanker from the 350th Air Refueling Squadron refuelled 

a McConnel KC-46A Pegasus over the United Kingdom. This aerial refuelling took place as part of the 45-hour 

Maximum Endurance Operation, known as Project Magellan. Source: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service

The 22nd Air Refueling Wing’s KC-46A Pegasus completed a record-setting nonstop flight worldwide.

In a mission known as Project Magellan, the KC-46A Pegasus successfully executed the first nonstop westbound circumnavigation flight, showcasing its capabilities.

The 45-hour mission, which lasted from June 29 to July 1, marked a milestone for the KC-46A Pegasus, Air Mobility Command’s newest tanker aircraft. It demonstrated its endurance and operational reach, and this latest Maximum Endurance Operation (MEO) tested the aircraft’s limits.

The previous record was set by the US Pease Air National Guard’s 157th Air Refueling Wing, which completed a 36-hour endurance mission, the longest for the US Air Mobility Command (AMC).

KC-46A strategic significance

The KC-46A Pegasus proven ability to overcome vast distances is key in the era of great power competition. Capt. Cody Donahue, who played a key role in planning the mission, emphasised the broader implications: “With a 48-hour duty day, you can literally fly across the world.”

See Also:

• Russia targets F-16 arrivals in Ukrainian air base attacks 

The mission involved complex coordination. McConnell Air Force Base demonstrated its refuelling capabilities by supporting various aircraft, including B-2 Spirit bombers and F-15E Strike Eagles, throughout the flight. This proved the tanker’s capacity to refuel multiple aircraft types and its role in ensuring continuous global reach.

Happy 4th of July

 Happy 4th of July to all our viewers...

An Army Special Forces Veteran Creates American Flags That Don't Burn

(Firebrand Flags)

Military.com | By Blake Stilwell

Published June 14, 2024

In many ways, Kyle Daniels is your typical Midwestern American. He grew up in a patriotic household, many of his family members joined the military, and his father was very meticulous about flag etiquette -- probably more so than your average American.

"Every morning we put it out at sunrise, we'd go out every night after work, bring it in and fold it the right way. It was very ceremonious," Daniels recently told Military.com. "It was instilled in me very early that this flag represents the freedoms we enjoy today. It's not just about the Fourth of July, it's not just about the special days; it's about every day. And that was something that I held near and dear to my heart."

That patriotism was never lost on him. Daniels would grow up to join the ranks of Army Special Forces. When he left the service, he was looking for what to do in the next phase of his life. He found the opportunity to combine his love of country with his post-military career -- a way to defend Old Glory itself, even if he's not there to do it personally.

Kyle Daniels, Special Forces veteran and founder of Firebrand Flags, brought a special, vintage 48-star flag to Normany to celebrate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. (Military.com/Blake Stilwell)

"I walked right out of a college class in 2003 and directly to a recruiter's office to sign [on] the dotted line," Daniels said. "Within three months, I was in boot camp. I was a lost soul and just did not feel any compelling purpose for college. This was around the time that the war in Iraq kicked off, and I just knew I could do more there."

Daniels joined the Army's 18X program, which allowed him to go directly into Special Forces training. After boot camp, he went through Airborne School and the Special Forces Q-Course; by 2005, he was assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group. A year later, he finally made it to Iraq for the first of two deployments there. He stepped off a C-17 Globemaster III the night he arrived to see the American flag flying on the airfield.

"I remember not knowing what to expect going into combat," Daniels recalled. "I was 22, and it was my first time actually going to war. I remember being at peace with it, but still not knowing what to expect. I'll never forget coming off of a C-17 and seeing, very distinctly, the flag flying right on the airfield in Baghdad.  

"Something about seeing that, knowing where I was, brought me a sense of comfort, and that's a lot of what the flag really, really instills in me. No matter where I am in the world, if I see that flag, there's going to be some sense of comfort or reassurance."

When Daniels left the U.S. military in 2010, he fulfilled a promise to his dad to finish college, but he struggled to figure out what he would do next. Like many veterans, he sought the help of friends who had already transitioned. A former teammate, Jason Van Camp, connected him with Warrior Rising, a nonprofit that helps veterans get their business ideas off the ground. Daniels and Van Camp talked at length about the politics of the country, and didn't like what they saw. 

At the time, tensions were high in the United States, especially around the flag. Daniels saw protests around the 2016 presidential election and protests against American activities all over the world in which flags were being burned. He naturally felt the discourse didn't represent the values that were instilled in him -- with flags being burned.

"That really resonated with me," he said. "I've seen the sacrifice people make for that flag and for the freedoms that it represents. I didn't really know what to do at the time, but the idea came about. I was like, 'I wish there was a flag that didn't burn.' And then we had the idea: Let's make one."

So they did, and by 2020, Firebrand Flags was born.

(Military.com/Blake Stilwell)

The material used to create these flags uses the same Kevlar-based fire retardant and manufacturing processes used to create U.S. military combat uniforms. They're also engineered for durability. Anyone who's flown a flag from their front porch knows that after even just a year of exposure to the elements, flags become frayed and discolored. Firebrand's classic flag also prevents both. They are also, of course, made in the United States, with each star hand-sewn onto the blue field.

"We wanted a flag that not just embodied the fighting spirit that our men and women have but could actually defend itself from people who wanted to do it harm, people who wanted to disparage the flag or burn the flag," Daniels said. "It was important for me that the stars were hand-sewn, and everything else is made in America."

For a limited time, the company is offering a special, World War II-era vintage 48-star flag that was airdropped into Normandy, France, with the cast of the HBO series "Band of Brothers" to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. To learn more about the process of making flags that won't burn, Kyle Daniels or more about Firebrand's "Old Glory" classic flag, visit the Firebrand Flags website.

B-52

 

D-Day 80 years later