The Green Bay Packers and WPS Health Solutions paid special tribute to U.S. Navy Petty Officer First Class Matthew Kuzicki during Sunday's game against the Cowboys for 'Operation Fan Mail'.
Operation Fan Mail, the program that recognizes military families and veterans at each Packers home game, is marking its 16th season this year.
Kuzicki grew up in Sobieski, Wis., about 20 miles from Lambeau Field. The green-and-gold gene has been passed down for generations in his family. He grew up a Packers fan, with early cherished memories of his family gathering at his Grandpa Ed's house to watch the games together. When the Packers went to Super Bowl XXXI in 1997, Kuzicki collected every newspaper clipping possible and got a Packers Super Bowl Champion hat, which he still has all these years later.
Kuzicki joined the U.S. Navy at age 17 in 2005, making 2023 his 18th year of service to the country. During his service, he has completed five tours that have taken him to several countries including Cameroon, Ukraine, Germany, Spain, Sicily, Guam and more. He will begin his sixth tour in February. He has received four Navy and Marine Corps Achievement medals and the Afghanistan Campaign medal. He has also been awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation medal. Currently, he is stationed in Gulfport, Miss., and is serving with the Navy Cargo Handling Battalion 13.
His family is extremely proud of all that he has accomplished and how he always puts his whole heart and soul into whatever he does, going out of his way to put others first. His wife says the military is not just a career for him, it is about protecting American rights and freedoms. Kuzicki attended Sunday's game with his wife, Danielle, his parents, Mike and Marie Kuzicki, as well as his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Joyce and Mike Maszka, who nominated him for Operation Fan Mail.
Operation Fan Mail, which debuted in 2007, is designed to honor families with a member who is on active duty, or a member who is a veteran. The family member can be a spouse, mother, father, son, daughter or sibling. The Packers and WPS Health Solutions will host a family or group at each 2022 home game and recognize them on the field during pregame activities. A total of 153 individuals, families or groups have been recognized through the program thus far.
To choose families, the Packers and WPS Health Solutions are asking interested families, or friends of eligible families, to submit an essay, 500 words or less, on why a particular fan should be saluted next season. Essays can be sent to Operation Fan Mail, P.O. Box 10628, Green Bay, WI, 54307-0628 or online at packers.com/lambeau-field/operation-fan-mail.
In addition to being recognized on-field prior to the game, selected families will receive four tickets to the game and a $150 Packers Pro Shop gift card courtesy of WPS Health Solutions.
