San Diego Padres - Military Appreciation

Military Appreciation

Starting in 1996 the Padres became the first national sports team to have an annual military appreciation event. Following in 2000 the Padres began wearing a camouflage, to honor the military; the jersey has since gone through three different versions. Starting in 2008, during every Sunday home games, the Padres wear camouflage jerseys. They also wear these uniforms on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. Beginning in 2011, the Padres have changed the camouflage design to a more modern "digital" design, using the MARPAT design after receiving permission from then-Commandant Conway, and dropped the green from the lettering and logo of the jersey. Green has been replaced by a sand-olive color (also in the cap worn with the jersey). Since 1995 Marine Recruits from the nearby Marine Corps Recruit Depot often visit the games en masse, in uniform, often filling entire sections in the upper deck. When they are present, the team commemorates this with a special Fourth Inning Stretch featuring the Marine Hymn. As of April 2005 over sixty thousand marine recruits have been hosted by the Padres. This is part of an extensive military outreach program, which also includes a series of Military Appreciation Night games, and game tapes mailed to deployed United States Navy ships of the Pacific Fleet for onboard viewing (a large portion of the Pacific Fleet is homeported in San Diego).