Retired U.S. Army Captain and Medal of Honor recipient Florent “Flo” Groberg will be the keynote speaker at the Armed Forces Bowl kickoff luncheon on Friday (Dec. 22).
Sponsored by Omni Fort Worth Hotel and American Airlines, the luncheon at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel begins at 11:30 a.m., setting the stage for Saturday’s 21st edition of the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl at TCU’s Amon G. Carter Stadium.
Kickoff for the bowl game pitting the Air Force Falcons against the James Madison Dukes is set for 2:30 p.m. with TV coverage on ABC and ESPN+. Tickets for the game and the luncheon are available online.
In addition to delivering the luncheon keynote, Groberg will be recognized during the game on Saturday as the 2023 Great American Patriot Award honoree. Presented annually by Armed Forces Insurance at the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, the Great American Patriot Award honors an individual in recognition of exemplary service to the United States.
The award will be presented during a halftime ceremony.
Groberg received the Medal of Honor, the United States’ highest military honor, in 2015 for his extraordinary gallantry, intrepidity and heroism while serving in combat operations during the war in Afghanistan.
On Aug. 8, 2012, he was responsible for protecting a group of 28 coalition and Afghan National Army personnel, including two brigade commanders, three battalion commanders, an Afghan general, two GS-15 State Department individuals and two majors with his element of six other soldiers.
During the advance to a provincial governor’s compound, the patrol was attacked, and Groberg charged and tackled a suicide bomber, thereby distancing the attacker from his personnel. The bomb detonated, severely injuring Groberg, but his selfless actions prevented more deaths.
As a result of his actions, Groberg sustained the loss of nearly 50 percent of his left calf muscle with significant nerve damage, a blown eardrum and a mild traumatic brain injury. He was medically retired from Company B Warriors, Warrior Transition Battalion, as a captain on July 23, 2015.
“Armed Forces Insurance is proud to recognize Captain Groberg as the 2023 Great American Patriot Award recipient,” said Sid Clarke, retired lieutenant general in the U.S. Air Force and chairman of Armed Forces Insurance. “His heroism and service to the United States make him a most deserving honoree.”
Among Groberg’s long list of awards and decorations are the Bronze Star Medal with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three Bronze Service Stars; the Global War on Terrorism Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the U.S. Army Parachutists Badge, the U.S. Army Ranger Tab, and the Meritorious Unit Commendation.
Groberg currently leads the Azure Global Mission Expansion Team at Microsoft. He previously led multidisciplinary teams at Boeing, LinkedIn and the Department of Defense, where he served as a special advisor for strategic defense projects, providing expertise to defense policymakers and military planners.
He is a member of the Wounded Warrior Project board of directors and has written an autobiography entitled “Eight Seconds of Courage.”
Also to be recognized during the Armed Forces Bowl is quarterback Tyler Huff of Furman University, recipient of the Armed Forces Merit Award presented by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).
Coordinated by the staff at the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, the Armed Forces Merit Award was created in 2012 to honor an individual and/or a group with a military background, or involvement with the military, that has made an impact on college football.
Huff was commissioned from Presbyterian College into the U. S. Army Reserves on May 13, 2022. He will depart Jan. 8 to Fort Huachuca in Arizona for active duty training through May 7, 2024.
In leading Furman to an 8-1 record this season and a No. 2 ranking in the Football Coaches Subdivision poll, Huff compiled 1,977 total yards for the Paladins with 488 yards rushing (5 TD) and 1,489 yards passing (9 TD). In two seasons he led the Paladins to an 18-4 record and finished his career at the school with 3,688 passing yards and 24 TD, along with 1,182 rushing yards and 13 TD.
Huff played his first three seasons at Presbyterian (2019-21) where he amassed 3,085 total yards (525 rushing and 2,560 passing) and 27 touchdowns. He played just four games at Presbyterian in 2021, qualifying for a medical redshirt.
He earned his undergraduate degree from Presbyterian, majoring in business administration with a concentration in business analytics.
