ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. –
The Andrews Ravens of the 316th Security Forces Squadron received a chance on Tuesday to go watch another, more famous set of Ravens work.
Despite the disparity in fame levels, the admiration among the two units was mutual.
"It's mind boggling to actually be in here," said Darryl Brodie, one of 25 Andrews Ravens who got to watch the Baltimore Ravens practice live at their indoor facility.
Before practice, the Andrews Ravens were given a full tour of the Baltimore Ravens' 200,000-square-foot training facility, which includes a full-service kitchen, a strength-training area, a full-size indoor practice field, three outdoor practice fields, basketball and racquetball courts and more.
"The facility is amazing," said Airman Brodie.
After the tour, the Andrews Ravens got to meet Baltimore Ravens Head Coach Brian Billick.
"We appreciate everything you do," said Coach Billick, when asked about taking time out of practice to accommodate the Andrews Ravens. "We're honored to take time out of our afternoon for you guys to come out here."
After the tour and meeting the coach, the real fun was on as the Baltimore Ravens and superstars such as Ray Lewis, Steve McNair and Ed Reed finally took the practice field.
"I was mostly excited to watch the defense," said Staff Sgt. Gerard Ellis, 316 SFS Raven. "I am a big Ray Lewis fan and want to get his autograph."
A lot of the time was spent marveling at the size of the football players.
The occasional "wow" or "he's huge" was commonly heard throughout the crowd of Andrews Ravens.
At the end of practice, Sergeant Ellis, and the rest of the Andrews Ravens, got their wish as the team came over and met everybody and signed autographs.
Some Baltimore Ravens shared stories about their family members in the military and a mutual appreciation of each other's work was present among the two sets of Ravens.
Coach Billick acknowledged similarities between the two Ravens as well.
"As a coaching staff we have a few valuable assets ourselves that we have to protect. Nothing as important as you guys, but it still takes discipline and teamwork and that's what we're all about," he said.
The Andrews Ravens protect the 89th Airlift Wing's planes, and help ensure safe travel for some of the most important people in the world.