By LAURA SANICOLA

Fordham alumnus Lt. Col. Bernard J. Harrington, GSB ’97, made a special appearance on Super Bowl Sunday, leading nine helicopters in flight over MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., at the end of opera singer Renee Fleming’s performance of the national anthem. Harrington, a commanding officer of the U.S. Army’s 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, led three AH-64D Apache Helicopters, three UH-60M Blackhawk Helicopters and three CH-47F Chinook Helicopters in a salute to the United States’ Armed Forces. He is part of a contingent of soldiers in the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) from Fort Campbell, Ky.

The flyover served as both training for the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade as well as a display of the skills of these  aviators in the 101st Airborne Division.  Units on deployment will regularly have to conduct low-level flights in urban areas upon deployment. Many pilots and members of the flight crew in the 101st CAB had been deployed to Afghanistan last year in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Harrington graduated from Xavier High School in Manhattan, before attending Fordham University. He was commissioned from the ROTC Battalion at Fordham and was a member of the Pershing Rifles drill team. Pershing Rifles is a National Military Honor Society that focuses on drill and ceremony, tactical proficiency, military bearing and courtesy. Fordham University’s chapter, D-8, was founded in 1946 and has been historically composed of ROTC cadets representing all branches of the military. In accordance with its mission, members of D-8 are expected to strive for perfection while maintaining professionalism, which contributes to them becoming better officers in our armed forces as well as better citizens.

“It’s a great honor to have LTC. Bernard J. Harrington represent the Fordham University Ram Battalion, and even more particularly, the Fordham University Pershing Rifles Company D-8,” said Fordham ROTC member Michael Hoblin, FCRH ’15. “Since the late 1940s D-8 has prided itself on turning young men into the US Military’s best officers. Our alumni have some of the most remarkable accomplishments and incredibly distinguished military careers.”

Reflecting on the values essential to a member of Fordham’s ROTC and Pershing Rifles D-8, Hoblin stated, “ROTC and Pershing Rifles taught me to internalize situations and instead of pointing fingers, to focus on what I could have done better in order to ensure that mistakes weren’t made.”

In a Fordham Notes blog post, Harrington expressed his own sentiments on the experience. “It’s an incredible honor to lead a team of professional, selfless soldiers and represent our armed forces during Super Bowl XLVIII,” Harrington said. “Like so many military officers serving today, I feel that my Fordham experience, particularly being a member of the Pershing Rifles, provided me an outstanding foundation to serve in today’s military. I was also blessed to meet my wife, Jennifer, at Fordham. She has always been the most important part of my life since leaving Rose Hill.”

Harrington, originally from Rego Park, NY., married his wife Jennifer Brizzolara Harrington, FCRH ’97, of Wilmington, Del. Jennifer studied Anthropology while at Fordham. Her father and sister are also Fordham alumni. The couple currently lives in Fort Campbell, Ky., with their three-year-old son, Jeremy.

Michael Cavanaugh contributed reporting.

Laura Sanicola is the Assistant News Editor at The Fordham Ram.