EL PASO, Texas -- When he and other members of the 1st Armored Division Combat Aviation Brigade returned from a recent nine-month deployment to Afghanistan, U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Steve Donahue had a plan in mind.
He just never dreamed it would work out this well.
As a lifelong Florida State fan who grew up in Leesburg, Fla., Donahue wanted to give one of the American flags that flew during their mission to FSU President John Thrasher and another one to interim head football coach Odell Haggins.
He wanted to honor the men for providing leadership and continuity to the young people who are part of the Seminoles' football program.
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At the time, Donahue figured the flags would have to be delivered to Tallahassee.
Then the college football bowl pairings were announced earlier this month, and he found out that the Seminoles would be coming to El Paso, Texas, where he and his brigade are based at Fort Bliss.
"It's phenomenal," Donahue said. "It's a great honor. Obviously, we watch a lot of teams transition through, but being so far in west Texas, we never even thought about Florida State visiting here. I was actually looking forward to being re-stationed back on the East Coast, being able to see the Seminoles. But having them here for next week's game, obviously inside the Sun Bowl, is going to be great."
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Donahue spoke with Warchant on Friday afternoon while players from the Florida State and Arizona State football teams participated in simulated combat and tactical drills at Fort Bliss. The players were able to take part in virtual shooting activities and also climb aboard combat vehicles and a Patriot missile launching station.
Donahue planned to present one of the flags to Haggins at a bowl-sponsored dinner later that evening. He will try to present the other to Thrasher when the university president arrives before the bowl game.
Each flag comes with a certificate that reads, "This American flag was proudly flown aboard an AH-64D Apache attack helicopter in Afghanistan supporting Operation(s) Freedom Sentinel and Resolute Support. These two missions sustain the fight against the global war on terrorism while partnering with allies to train, advise and assist the government of Afghanistan.The mission was executed by the members of headquarters, 1st Armored Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade (1AD CAB) task force “Iron Eagle” 21-22 September 2019."
Donahue, who became a Seminole fan at the age of 3, said he and several other soldiers watched every FSU game during the 2019 season from their base in Afghanistan.
They were excited to spend time with the FSU players during the visit on Friday, and they can't wait to see them play in person in Tuesday's Sun Bowl.
"Had to stay up in the middle of the night to be able to see the games, but we were able to watch each and every one," Donahue said. "And this is the true capstone of the season. We have a lot of fans, a lot of friends of the Seminole Nation, and we're looking forward to being able to see the Seminoles come out victorious on Tuesday."
The high-ranking officer soon will be able to see the 'Noles even more often. Donahue said he soon will be stationed in Alabama, and one of his first plans after the move is buying FSU season tickets.
