Score big with USAA

Video Duration: 8 minutes 22 seconds

[00:00]

[Kyle speaking]

Coming in today I was pretty confident that I would be able to pick up things quick. That wasn't true. It was challenging mentally and physically.

[00:06]

[The words “Trigger warning, expect gunfire.” Appear on screen]

[00:08]

[Kyle speaking]

But I was nervous shooting the guns and getting on the helicopter for the first time. I got to push this through so I can make it back home and the same for my brothers. We're at Moody Air Force Base in southern Georgia.

[00:08]

[The words “Blank rounds only were used during training exercises” appear on screen]

[00:20]

[The words, “Kyle Pitt Sr. NFL football player, All pro tight end” appear on screen]

[00:20]

[Kyle speaking]

And I'm here to get a little taste of what it feels like to train with the Pararescue Team.

[00:23]

[Kyle speaking]

I'm Kyle Pitts NFL tight end. And this is "I Could Do That."

[00:23]

[The words “Whistle I could do that, 10th anniversary, Pararescue edition, and the Official NFL Salute to Service Partner” with USAA and NFL Salute to Service logos” appear on screen]

[00:28]

[The words, “Capt. Luke Hamlin, Combat Rescue Officer, 38th Rescue Squadron” appear on screen]

[Luke speaking]

Pararescue is the Air Force's premier combat search and rescue capability. We execute personnel recovery in all environments. Maritime environments, jump inserts.

[00:36]

[Grant speaking]

Pararescuemen, we are all military free-fold qualified combat divers.

[00:43]

[The words “Staff Sgt. Grant Meline, pararescueman, 38th Rescue Squadron” appear on screen]

[Grant speaking]

We can operate as a unit or we can be farmed out to Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces, or any other three-letter agency providing the same skill set as well as being actually done to the fight. Ultimately, the end goal is to ensure that any downed aviator, military personnel, Allied National, will get those personnel out of whatever situation they find themselves in. Teamwork's everything and that's going to be exemplified in today's full mission profile. It's going to be a combination of everybody's efforts, including Kyle.

[01:06]

[Luke speaking]

Kyle, welcome to the 38th Rescue Squadron.

[01:08]

[Kyle speaking]

Thank you, sir.

[01:09]

[Luke speaking]

Ready to be a Pararescue man for the day?

[01:10]

[Kyle speaking]

I could do that.

[01:11]

[Luke speaking]

All right, we're going to head this way.

[01:13]

[Kyle speaking]

Coming in today, I was nervous, but it boils down to the trusting man beside you. Trusting, knowing that they do their job at a high level. Well, then it's just up to you to keep up your portion.

[01:23]

[The words, “Training 01 suit up” appear on screen]

[01:23]

[Josh speaking]

Anything that we're expected to do, you know, we ask Kyle to do the same things.

[01:28]

[The words Staff Sgt. Josh Mendez, Pararescue man, 38th rescue squadron” appear on screen]

[01:28]

[Josh speaking]

Elite athletes, we expect them to be pretty physically capable. All right, ready to rock and roll.

[01:32]

[Kyle speaking]

Got comms on me.

[01:34]

[Josh speaking]

We expect them to be able to think clearly while under a lot of stress.

[01:38]

[Kyle speaking]

Oh, yeah. Come on, now.

[01:39]

[Josh speaking]

Digesting a lot of information at once.

[01:42]

[Luke speaking]

I think he's going to be surprised at how physically demanding the job is. The weight of all the equipment, the body armor, the helmets, the weapon systems, I think that's going to be a surprise. With full kit and weapon, he'll probably be close to 350, and it's only just begun from there.

[01:56]

[The words “Training 02 weapons familiarization” appear on screen]

[01:56]

[Man speaking]

We're going to equip Kyle with all the necessary skills he needs to successfully make it through the day. We'll introduce him to the light machine gun. Okay. So you're looking for a 20-pound weapon system when you're out there. Do you have any questions with it?

[02:09]

[Kyle speaking]

How much fun do we have?

[02:10]

[Man speaking]

Oh, you're going to have a lot of fun.

[02:12]

[Kyle speaking]

That's the only question. Let's do it.

[02:13]

[Man speaking]

We'll expose Kyle to some of the extrication equipment that we use. All right, Kyle, give me a quick 10-second cut. Pararescuemen, we're trained in technical extrication using cutting tools.

[02:14]

[The words “Training 03 extrication” appear on screen]

[02:14]

[Man speaking]

We'll expose Kyle to some of the extrication equipment that we use. All right, Kyle, give me a quick 10-second cut. Pararescuemen, we're trained in technical extrication using cutting tools.

[02:24]

[Luke speaking]

jaws of life to track how the vehicles are aircraft.

[02:27]

[Man speaking]

You're good right there. Nice. Now we can get to the patient. All right, we're going to move on to some medical training now.

[02:33]

[The words, “training 04 tactical medicine” appear on screen]

[02:33]

[Man speaking]

Additionally, we'll teach him some basic medical, tactical casualty combat care, how to put on tourniquet. Perfect. Don't be worried about hurting him, you're saving his life. I'm trying to save you. How to conduct I.D.s. Just going to look for a nice, big, juicy vein. Now drop the needle just a little bit, and let's bring it forward just a hair. Good. All right, we're secure. You did it. Nice job. Yeah. Good job.

[02:54]

[Kyle speaking]

Thank you. Wow. Well, I'm having fun. I'm having fun. This is great. I might have stepped into the unknown, but I'm prepared mentally.

[03:00]

We'll next move into a full mission profile.

[03:02]

[The words “Mission drop” appear on screen]

[03:05]

[Luke speaking]

All right, see, we have a mission drop situation developing. There's an American citizen that reached out to the embassy, asking for help. We're going to push over to the east, drop down to the south. There might be enemy personnel, so you'll be on gunner point for that. All right, let's get our gear on, get ready to go. Try to extract this guy.

[03:18]

[Kyle speaking]

This is a lot. It's a high-pressure situation. No obstacles are too big for me. We're moving too slow, team. All right, go ahead. Uh-oh. Game time.

[03:25]

[The words “Mission rescue and extraction]

[03:29]

[Kyle speaking]

Today's final mission, first thing was loading up into the ATV. Got a chance to shoot at some enemies to clear them out.

[03:35]

[man speaking]

Be advised Mad Cat team has established O.R.P Request call visual. Over.

[03:38]

[The words “Trigger warning, expect gunfire.” Appear on screen]

[03:40]

[The words “Blank rounds only were used during training exercises” appear on screen]

[03:40]

[man speaking]

Pitts. Right there. Ready? Yeah, Pitts.

[03:46]

[Kyle speaking]

Firing the weapons was exhilarating through the body. My body was shaking with the gun. We got a couple left. But it was pretty cool, and I could check it off my bucket list.

[03:55]

[man speaking]

Report Mad Cat. I already slid report. Good copy, Mad Cat. We saw some threats. We eliminated all targets. Now we got to finish the mission.

[04:06]

[Man speaking]

Pushing out. So we reported a stall. It was three by, dismounted enemy area. I hear you, buddy. We're gonna get you out of here, okay? Hold right here. Just keep your eyes on that road, okay? That's kind of unknown territory right now. Hey, buddy, we're coming. Hang tight, okay?

[04:19]

[Kyle speaking]

What makes a good leader on and out the field is just something you can rely on, something that in any situation you know that they'll have your back. All right, Pitts. Start talking to the patient, okay? See if he's okay. We're gonna start getting this guy out of here. You okay, buddy? Just give us a second. We're coming. We're coming to get you. Found our victim. Get that jaws on him. Pried him out of the car. That was flipped. Saved him. That was pretty cool. There we go.

[04:42]

[man speaking]

Good, good. Really nice. We got it open.

[04:47]

[man speaking]

We got it, good. There you go.

[04:49]

[Kyle speaking]

You know, he was bleeding out, so we had to put a tourniquet on his arm and leg. Let's get that tourniquet. Massive hemorrhage to the left leg.

[04:58]

[man speaking]

Being able to communicate clear and concise when things are stressful is key. You have to be the calm in the storm, because you're the one there to fix the problem, not be the problem. We got it covered. We're moving the patient right now. Be advised that those enemies are probably only one mic out. You need to get a package off the edge. Right there. Patient is fully packaged. We're ready to move.

[05:13]

[Luke speaking]

Trust breeds predictability, understanding how everybody's going to interoperate, how a group of individuals is going to work to accomplish one mission. Let me get you. Here you go, Pitts. Really just focus on that breathing, all right.

[05:25]

[Kyle speaking]

A big lesson I would say I took away from today is stay calm in these high-pressure situations. That's what my brother was coaching me up on today. Here you go, Chris. Let's get him. Take a breath and, you know, still move it in good urgency. Everyone around me kept their calm, and it kind of slowed me down, which helped a lot.

[05:40]

[man speaking]

Hey, we've got troops 300 meters to the south, enemy personnel 300 meters to the south. Today on our mission, we will take contact. Some communication that we're looking for, the 3Ds, distance, direction, and description. Where are they? How many are they? How far away? Whoa! Hey, heads down, heads down! We have been engaged by the enemy. We have incoming!

[05:50]

[The words “Trigger warning, expect gunfire.” Appear on screen]

[05:58]

[man speaking]

We took indirect fire, covering the patient up. To shield the patient away from any frag or any blast is a huge priority. Be advised, Mad Cat, (inaudible). At that point, our priority shifts from care and extra patience, and now we have to deal with this threat.

[06:05]

[The words “Trigger warning, expect gunfire.” Appear on screen]

[The words “Blank rounds only were used during training exercises” appear on screen]

[06:17]

So we have Kyle laying down, suppressing fire.

[06:20]

It's going to be controlled chaos. Ultimately, we're striving for as much realism as we can to simulate the same conditions for the team on the counter, on the field. Kyle is going to get a small glimpse of that today, and how you have to just breathe through that chaos and enact the mission. Okay, Pits, come up here. We're going to move him. The really biggest thing we're looking for here is for Kyle to prioritize the patient over himself. Since we had a casualty, we need to get that casualty as far away from this fight as possible.

[06:45]

[Kyle speaking]

It was challenging mentally and physically.

[06:48]

[man speaking]

It was hot, and it was extremely hard. Our patient was very heavy. I think we were all struggling a little bit, but I noticed that Kyle, he has that never quit mentality. He just kept moving forward, which is what we want to see out of our team members.

[07:01]

[Kyle speaking]

This is great. No days off. I thought I was, you know, I'm not going to be able to train today.

[07:05]

[man speaking]

I got it in. I think that's where a lot of our training comes into play. 100%. Going through extreme fatigue and still pushing on the mission.

[07:12]

[Kyle speaking]

I would say when things get hard, just keep going.

[07:16]

[Kyle speaking]

Working with the pararescue team versus the football team, it's the same thing in trusting the brother besides you. Having trust that when you do your job and everyone else does their job, that everything comes to fruition. I got to push this through so I can make it back home, and it's the same for my brothers.

[07:30]

[man speaking]

We continued on foot to our helicopter landing zone so that we could get extracted.

[07:35]

[Kyle speaking]

To save the victim, to get him to cover and hoist him up in the air and get him out of the situation was just joy for the people around me, knowing that we can go home to our families.

[07:44]

[Kyle speaking]

My final words for my pararescue brothers, not team. My brothers, I love going to war with you guys today. I learned a lot about myself, and what really happens in the field. It was great, and I appreciate it

[07:55]

[Luke speaking]

Does Kyle have what it takes to be a part of our team? Could Kyle be part of the 38th Rescue Squadron? Yeah. He could do that. Yeah, Kyle could do that.

[Kyle speaking]

[08:04]

Big thanks to USAA and the United States Air Force pararescue Team for giving me a chance to train with the best. I could do that.

[08:11]

[The words “Whistle I could do that, 10th anniversary, Pararescue edition, and the Official NFL Salute to Service Partner” with USAA and NFL Salute to Service logos” appear on screen]

Video Duration: 3 minutes 38 seconds

[00:00]

[The words “The next mission” with the USAA logo and the players tribune logo appear on screen]

[00:04]

[“The words in 2026, two midshipmen were selected in the NFL draft for the first time since 1956.” appear on screen]

[00:07]

[The words “As they look forward to their first summer of training camps, they came back to Annapolis to look back — and prepare for the next mission.” appear on screen]

[00:11]

[Eli speaking]

Lando! What's up, bud? How are we doing?

[00:13]

[Landon speaking]

Doing alright, man? Good to see you. Good to see you, brother. Yes, sir. I'm doing well. Good to be back. You already know, bro. Absolutely.

[00:18]

[Eli speaking]

The first thing you see when you get back into Annapolis is the stadium. You get right off the highway and you see it right on the right-hand side and start thinking about all the good memories we had.

[00:24]

[The words “Eli Heidenreich, NFL running back, Navy class of 2026” appear on screen”]

[00:30]

[Landon speaking]

It's very surreal just coming back here and being able to see the Blue Angel right here and all the different names on the stadium just means so much.

[00:38]

[The words “Landon Robinson, NFL defense, Navy class of 2026” appear on screen]

[00:38]

[Landon speaking]

I think whenever you have something that new that's on the horizon, that just means a lot to you and your journey. You get a little anxious, right? You get a little nervous at times, but that just means you're doing something that's worthwhile, something that's going to really make a difference in your life. So I think that's been definitely similar to Plebe Year. You know, there's not as much crawling in the dirt and being in the woods as much, but it's similar. You're just getting out on the football field, getting to know your teammates and just trying to make a name for yourself.

[01:04]

[The words “Plebe summer” appear on screen]

[01:04]

[Eli speaking]

I didn't really know anything about Plebe summer coming into it,

[01:07]

[The words, “ Plebe summer is a rigorous 6-to-7 week program at the U.S. Naval Academy, testing freshmen through intense physical training, weapons handling, sailing and Navy knowledge” appear on screen]

[01:07]

[Eli speaking]

at least as much as I probably should have. And it's the same thing in the NFL. It's a completely new environment with new people. So being able to adapt quickly and kind of react to things on the fly is big. That's been helping me so far. I think about the confidence I had playing here. And I think that's absolutely something I'm going to take away from here and use in Pittsburgh.

[01:29]

[Landon speaking]

I think just being able to prove yourself again, that's something that never changes. And that's something that's very similar being up in Cincinnati. You've got to go make a name for yourself and go prove that you are who you say you are.

[01:40]

[Eli speaking]

Lanny, you ready to go inside? Let's do it. Cool.

[01:52]

[Landon speaking]

Dude, it's so surreal, you know, seeing your number, seeing the name on the back of your jersey, all the memories just come back to you. All the days were pregame, and you're getting ready to put it on to go out there and represent for yourself and the academy and the whole world. A lot of memories come back

[02:08]

[Eli speaking]

Yeah, I think the first thing I saw was the Navy across the chest. We always talk about playing for that name, representing all the people that have come before us from the name Football Brotherhood. And thinking about the reason that we go out and play was for those guys.

[02:24]

[Landon speaking]

Yeah. I think just being able to remember where you came from, you're here for a reason. Just keep being yourself and keep putting in the work and just dominate the day. Just take it one day at a time.

[02:35]

[Eli speaking]

Has it hit you yet that we're out in the real world playing professional football?

[02:38]

[Landon speaking]

I think it'll hit us whenever we get out for Pittsburgh and Cincinnati and we're getting ready to represent. I think that's when it'll really hit us.

[02:53]

[Eli speaking]

I think the big thing that stands out every time I'm in the stadium are all the different battles and engagements we've been in throughout our history as a Navy, a Marine Corps. I think people see that whenever they come here and you're probably not going to win. And if you do, it's going to be the hardest game you ever played in your life. That's right. You definitely don't take it lightly playing here.

[03:12]

[Landon speaking]

No doubt. You put in so much work. You put in all the time here to come here and win games for yourself and for the community and the academy. It's like, you come here and it's just like home. It's like good old days. That's what we use to be such a good football team. We use what we learn at Plebe Summer, use those lessons and those values, and we just translate them on the football field.

[03:32]

[The USAA logo and The Players’ Tribune logo appear on screen]

[03:34]

[The words, “Official NFL Salute to Service Partner” and “taking care of our own with USAA and NFL Salute to Service logos appear on screen”]

Video Duration: 1 minute 50 seconds

[00:00]

[Jeremy speaking]

That's cool man. That's cool.

[00:05]

[The words “Jeremy Reaves, Safety, Washington Commanders” appears on screen]

[00:05]

[Jeremy speaking]

My name is Jeremy Reeves. I'm a safety for the Washington Commanders from Pensacola, Florida. We've got an amazing new monument. The USAA did a really good job with it. It's a great tribute to our servicemen, those who have served, and those that continue to serve. It's a beautiful tribute. So going up the steps, right, you see it in relation to the Lincoln Memorial, right? It's such a beautiful structure, but then you actually get to learn the actual detail of it. First I thought it was actually like legitimate like stone etched in stone, and then you actually take a deeper look at it. That's so sick. Yeah. It's mesmerizing, right? I mean dude, like I could just sit here and look at this all day.

[00:41]

[Jeremy speaking]

Did you get it? Did mom come up? Yeah. Both of my parents served. My dad was in the Army.

[00:48]

[Jeremy speaking]

My mom, she was in the Air Force. So I've always grown up in a very military-structured home. My mom ended up passing in 2020. So being able to see her on the wall, she's forever etched history. Wow. That's pretty amazing. You know, there's a place I could come up here, and I can always pull her name up, and she's always there.

[01:08]

[Jeremy speaking]

That's cool, man. That's cool. I'm about to look up my dad's now. Hold on. It was cool, man, getting to share that moment with my mom really, and also my dad. I got to call my dad and tell him that, hey man, like you're up here with the big guys, man. You scan the code, comes up with a list of names of everybody that served. You find the exact name. Yeah, man. You forever etched in stone, dude. As somebody whose family has served, I understand the sacrifice that it takes. Thank you for what you did, because you not only honor the people that have served, but you're honoring the people who continually protect us. I know I appreciate it, and I know a million other people will. So what you did doesn't go unnoticed, and we appreciate you so much.

[01:47]

[The words “The National Military Monument, USAA’s tribute to those who served’ and the USAA logo appear on screen.]

Video Duration: 1 minute 14 seconds

[00:00]

[The words, “Each year, the Seattle Seahawks pick a local military unit to honor throughout the season.” Appear on screen]

[00:02]

[Man speaking]

So for the 25-26 season, District Northwest of the Coast Guard, had the honor of being that unit. I was able to be a part of the NFC Championship game amongst 49 other members. We were able to go out on the field and the hoist the flag for colors, which was a once in a lifetime opportunity, especially as a Seattle Seahawks fan to be there for such an awesome day that took him to the Super Bowl. (Music)

[00:24]

[The words, “The outgoing unit passes their “12” flag as a symbol of the loyal Seattle fan base, to the new unit.” Appear on screen]

[00:30]

[Man speaking]

The change of command ceremony is a traditional event, rich with symbolism inherited when a change of command was to take place. The flag was passed to the individual assuming command.

[00:41]

[Man speaking]

Welcome our 2026-27 honored unit, Naval Air Station, Whidbey Island. (Applause) I'm excited for Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and look forward to seeing what they accomplish with Seahawks. We have a lot of great opportunities where we'll be able to get that flag up in some planes and fly it around. We have multiple four deployed units, so we'll be able to get that out there to them. Really just get that flag globetrotting and represent not only NASWI, but the Seahawks. (Applause)

[00:51]

[Man speaking]

I’m excited for Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and look forward to seeing what they accomplish with the Seahawks.

[00:56]

[Man speaking]

We have a lot of great opportunities where we’ll be able to get that flag up in some planes and fly it around. We have multiple forward deployed units so we’ll be able to get that out there to them. Really just get that flag globetrotting and represent not only NASWI, but the Seahawks.

[01:10]

[The words, “Official NFL Salute to Service Partner of the Seattle Seahawks” with USAA and NFL Salute to Service logos appear on screen]

Video Duration: 0 minutes 57 seconds

[Woman speaking]

I'd say pretty confident. I think we're gonna win.

[00:05]

[The words, “Military members in Tampa compete for Bucs Tickets at USAA’s Salute to Service Boot Camp” appear on screen]

[00:10]

[Shelina Frey speaking]

Well, they're gonna do a 40-yard deck. They're gonna do the three-cone shuffle. They're gonna do the quarterback arm throw. They're gonna do the gauntlet.

[00:20:13]

[The words, “Shelina Frey, CMSgt, USAF (Ret.) USAA Military Affairs” appear on screen]

[Shelina speaking]

And it's fun at first. And then it becomes very serious as they start to compete for the winning title.

[00:28:22]

[Shelina speaking]

This is very competitive. And not just this. We're talking about military members, right? Who know winning. We teach them to win. We teach them to lead. So they come out here as friends and then when we get on the field, it's business. It's about winning. And then afterwards we'll give you a hug because you just lost. (Laughter)

[00:49]

[Shelina speaking]

For USAA, it's a wonderful way for us to say thank you for your service.

[00:55]

[The words, “Official NFL Salute to Service Partner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers” with USAA and NFL Salute to Service logos” appear on screen]

Video Duration: 2 minutes 12 seconds

[00:00]

[Jacob speaking]

Easiest and smoothest take off ever. Pull up! I know how to crash.

[00:05]

[ The words, “NFL draft prospect Jacob Rodriguez gets a flight lesson from his wife Emma Rodriguez, a U.S. Army Black Hawk pilot]

[00:14]

[Jason speaking]

Hey, how are you doing? I'm Jason. Nice to meet you. Who's getting the lesson today?

[00:17]

I'll get the lesson today.

[00:19]

[The words “Jacob Rodriguez, NFL draft prospect, USAA member” appear on screen]

[00:20]

[Jacob speaking]

I think being a military spouse means a lot to me. Her being a part of something bigger than herself.

[00:25]

[Emma speaking]

My name is Emma Rodriguez and I'm in the United States Army.

[00:25]

[The words, “Emma Rodriguez, First Lieutenant Army, USAA member]

[00:28]

[Emma speaking]

I'm a 15 alpha. I fly the UH-60 Black Hawk.

[00:32]

[Jacob speaking]

When people find out that I'm married to a Black Hawk helicopter pilot, they're just blown away by how cool of a job that she has.

[00:38]

[Man speaking]

Alright buddy, get in there. Alright, what am I looking at?

[00:42]

[Emma speaking]

These are all like your work.

[00:45]

[Jacob speaking]

What a great opportunity it is for us to strengthen our relationship and keep working on our communication. Which one do I have to look at?

[00:50]

[Emma speaking]

This is what you're going to look at. We've been together for seven years. Sweet. And we've been doing long distance for seven years.

[00:57]

[Emma speaking]

It was very difficult. We've been living together for like the last month, thankfully.

[01:03]

[Emma speaking]

If Jacob went to the combine and did well, then we were going to get to live together. And so we got to do that

[01:13]

[Emma speaking]

So it's the first time in seven years we've ever lived together.

[01:17]

[Emma speaking]

But for him and for me, that was our first like experience of what military families go through every single time the service member is deployed.

[01:28]

[Jacob speaking]

It's such a privilege to be around each other. The time that we get to spend together is short, but it's very meaningful.

[01:35]

[Emma speaking]

Military families, service members have a lot of what's in line some events happen while they're deployed. They miss children's birthdays, they miss anniversaries, they miss births, and that's really hard to go through.

[01:46]

[Jacob speaking]

Even though that she's away and that we have to do this distance, it was worth more than anything in this world. No matter what it takes, I'll be with her through everything. I'll do whatever it takes to support her as much as I can through anything.

[02:05]

[Jacob speaking]

Thank you to USAA and our military members all over the world for your service.

[02:08]

[The words “Official NFL Salute to Service Partner” with USAA and NFL Salute to Service logos, taking care of our own” appear on screen]