On Tuesday, defensive end Mario Addison traveled to Jacksonville, N.C., courtesy of American Airlines to spend time with "Marine Raiders" at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, a training center for special forces.
There are approximately 2,500 Raiders on the base and their identities are protected due to the nature of their assignments.
Addison's itinerary included meeting command representatives, testing out the live-fire range, observing Raiders engage in close quarters combat training and learning about the specialized gear they use.
Addison has always taken particular interest in engaging with the military. He's attended more base visits than anyone on the team - more than 20 in all - and has taken part in USO tours overseas each of the last two offseasons.
"I'm just as happy to see them as they are to see me. They always welcome me with open arms," Addison said. "I know a couple of people who were in different branches of the service. They influenced me. They had the mindset that there's no 'I' in team – they were always unselfish.
"The least I can do is go talk to them and put a smile on their face."
