Boise State University running back Ashton Jeanty (middle) and University of Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (right) and their fathers in front of a Black Hawk helicopter at General Mitchell Air National Guard Base in Milwaukee, Wis., on April 2, 2025. (USAA)
Two NFL Draft picks — Ashton Jeanty for the Las Vegas Raiders and Jalen Milroe for the Seattle Seahawks — and their fathers, connected back to their military roots during a visit to the 128th Air Refueling Wing at General Mitchell Air National Guard Base in Milwaukee, Wis.
Milroe was drafted by the Seahawks as the 92nd overall pick on Friday, and Jeanty was drafted by the Raiders as the 6th overall pick on Thursday during this year’s NFL Draft.
The NFL’s annual recruitment event selected eligible college football players to join the professional football league, and was hosted for the first time in Green Bay, Wis., from Thursday to Saturday. To celebrate the historic event, USAA brought the Milroe and Jeanty families to meet with the local military community and show their appreciation.
“I never want to forget where I came from,” Jeanty told Stars and Stripes in an email on Wednesday. “Having the chance to partner with USAA to visit with local military members before a historic day in Green Bay made for a surreal, full-circle moment for me and my dad.”
On April 2, the Milroe and Jeanty families toured the air base and saw KC-135 and F-35 aircraft as well as a Black Hawk helicopter. They also participated in a simulated flight experience of a KC-135 refueling an F-35 in-flight.
“Visiting the Wisconsin Air National Guard was a way of saying thank you to our military and to bring them along with me on this journey to the NFL,” Milroe told Stars and Stripes in an email on Thursday.
Milroe’s father Quentin, is a Marine Corps veteran and Jeanty’s father Harry, is a Navy veteran. During the visit, the football players and their dads bonded over shared military experiences and connected well with the service members.
“The service members on base don’t often have these types of unique opportunities to rub shoulders with NFL talent, so it’s very exciting for them to get closer to the game they love,” Ike Isaacson, USAA Military Affairs Representative told Stars and Stripes in an email on Tuesday.
Jeanty is considered one of the top running backs in the country. In 2024, the college junior was a runner-up for the Heisman Trophy and received the Maxwell and Doak Walker awards.
Milroe is a four-star recruit that has received back-to-back honors as a team captain for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
USAA and the NFL are Salute to Service partners committed to honoring service members, veterans and their families each season with exclusive access and once-in-a-lifetime experiences at various NFL-related events and programs. Last year, USAA hosted a similar base visit with NFL Draft prospects at the time — Los Angeles Chargers Joe Alt and Denver Broncos Bo Nix — to Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan.
Boise State University running back Ashton Jeanty (left) and University of Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (right) and their dads pose with airmen from the 128th Air Refueling Wing at General Mitchell Air National Guard Base in Milwaukee, Wis., on April 2, 2025. (USAA)
