Each activation is designed to meet communities where they are. Depending on the partnership and context, an activation may include any combination of four core components.
Veterans and families attending games, meeting players, and participating in shared civic experiences, the public moments that anchor the program.
Developing and scaling programs in which veterans recover, succeed, thrive, and give back to their communities.
Athletes lending their platform, presence, and personal involvement to elevate veteran causes: visibly, repeatedly, year-round.
Content and campaigns that highlight veteran stories and amplify impact across communities nationwide.
Note: Not every activation includes all components. Each is designed to meet communities where they are.
2026 brings together a rare cluster of national moments. The Home Team Initiative ties them into a single, sustained through-line, not a single-day stunt.
Veteran-led pre-game ceremonies anchored by ambassadors and Heart & Armor partners.
Service-driven activations that bring veterans, athletes, and families into shared spaces of celebration.
Storytelling campaigns and athlete-led conversations centering post-9/11 veterans and their families.
Programmatic close of the inaugural season: activations across teams, leagues, and partner cities.
Every activation builds toward measurable outcomes: opportunities for players, veterans, corporations, and individuals to join the work.
By connecting veterans and families to sports, and to the civic life around them.
By educating participants and the public in the needs and strengths of the veteran population.
By deepening the network of teams, players, veterans, and community support.
Through scientific understanding and veteran access to effective services.
