Wisconsin’s Favorite Sports Teams Once Again Join Forces to Honor Veterans

The Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Bucks are again teaming up to sponsor three planeloads of veterans on Stars and Stripes Honor Flight’s 87^th mission, scheduled for Saturday, June 20, 2026. This will be the seventh year the teams have come together for the purpose of honoring our American heroes, but the first time the flight is being held in the summer.

“From a scheduling perspective, a summer date is very attractive to many of our veterans,” explained Karyn Roelke, VP-Public Relations, Stars and Stripes Honor Flight. “We think the public will like it as well. As in the past, we are encouraging people to turn out for the welcome home celebration that will take place at both Green Bay’s Austin-Straubel International Airport and Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport.”

This year’s “Flight of Champions” will honor approximately 180, Korean War, Vietnam and Vietnam Era veterans with a one day, all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials built to recognize their service and sacrifice, and to experience a full day of honor and thanks for their efforts. 

Early in the morning of June 20, a plane of veterans, guardians and Green Bay Packers alumni will depart from Green Bay’s Austin-Straubel International Airport. Simultaneously, two planeloads of veterans, guardians and representatives from the Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Bucks will depart from Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport.

When the three planes arrive at Washington Dulles International Airport on flight day, the veterans, their guardians and team representatives will spend the day touring Washington. The tour will include the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Marine Corps/Iwo Jima Memorial and the Changing of the Guard at Arlington National Cemetery. When the flights return, the veterans will be met by a rousing welcome home celebration, something many of them never experienced when they returned home from their service.

“In the coming months, we’ll announce additional details about the welcome home celebration,” added Roelke. “We’ll share more about the veterans themselves, the sports team alumni and representatives and our invaluable sponsors who are stepping up to offset the costs of this special trip. We’ll also share how the public can participate and make this an experience our veterans won’t soon forget.”

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Honor Flight is a national program with more than 130 hubs from coast to coast. Nationally, hubs in the Honor Flight network have honored over 275,000 veterans with free trips to see their memorials.