Foxborough, Mass. -- The Massachusetts Maritime Academy Honor Guard will do something on Sunday, December 26th, 2021, that they haven't done in over 20 years. The guard will serve as the pregame honor guard at Gillette Stadium prior to the New England Patriots game against the Buffalo Bills.

The Academy's honor guard is no stranger to high-profile events as they have performed in front of all of the professional sports teams in New England and the majority of their minor league teams in the region over the years. The MMA Honor Guard is known for professionalism, flexibility, and a standard of excellence, all of which have earned the organization great respect among the sports entertainment and the military drill and ceremony worlds. Within the last five years, the guard has performed numerous times for the Bruins, the Red Sox, Revolution, and Celtics. However, the New England Patriots have not seen MMA since they moved into Gillette Stadium in 2002.

In October 2021, NBC10 Boston came to The Academy ahead of the Patriots v Tampa Bay Buccaneers game to film "The Other Bucs". The media attention around this piece and Buccaneer football helped make the Honor Guard's goal of a twenty-first-century Patriot's game appearance at Gillette Stadium a reality. The Honor Guard was contacted and accepted the opportunity to parade the MMA flag high on Sunday, December 26th when the Patriots take on the Bills.