Nearly 105,000 Aggies and Ole Miss fans erupted in cheer as Sailors from the aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) stepped onto Kyle Field at Texas A&M University during a military appreciation night football game, Nov. 12.

The event honored the service and sacrifices made by United States military veterans, and the Sailors were invited to the game as part of a namesake visit over the weekend. The Sailors participating in the visit were recently recognized as the GHWB 2016 Sailors of the Year.

"It was amazing; it's unlike anything I have ever experienced in my life," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Raylene Rodriguez, GHWB's 2016 Petty Officer of the Year. "It was my first college football game, and I loved everything that went into the Aggie game."

Texas A&M University was founded in 1871 as a military college, and many of the students, staff, and alumni take pride in their history. They recognize the military during various special events such as the appreciation game, or tributes at Memorial Student Center.

"It was very humbling to have the outpouring of thanks, of the recognition for our service [and] for what we have done both on GHWB and during our entire Navy careers," said Rodriguez.

The GHWB Sailors were invited on the field during a break in the game to be recognized for their service, where they were given a thumbs-up from the crowd -- a gesture which symbolizes victory in the Texas A&M football fan culture.

"The community here really cares about the military. It felt good to have so many people cheering for us," said Petty Officer 1st Class Joanna Waugh, GHWB 2016 Sailor of the Year. "It felt even better to know, however, that these cheers would be for anyone in the military that would have walked down on to the field. That made it special."

The Sailors walked back to their seats to shouts of, "Thank you for your service!" and dozens of arms extended for handshakes or high-fives.

The game ended with an unfortunate loss for Texas A&M, but the appreciation felt won't soon be lost on those GHWB Sailors.

George H.W. Bush, homeported in Norfolk, is currently preparing for a composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX), which will test all mission warfare areas in preparation for an upcoming deployment.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77), visit http://www.navy.mil/ or http://www.facebook.com/USSGeorgeHWBush.