NJ Veteran, A Retired Wayne Cop, To Be Honored At New York Jets Game

WAYNE, NJ — The New York Jets will honor a former Wayne Police Department officer and current soldier with the U.S. Army Reserve at an upcoming Monday Night Football matchup.

Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Carbone was in a staff meeting at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst recently when a call came in from Steven A. Castleton, the Jets' military and first responder liaison. His fellow soldiers broke into applause as Castleton told Carbone he will be celebrated as the Jets' "Veteran of the Game" during the Oct. 14 game against the Buffalo Bills.

Carbone, a U.S. Army veteran and two-time Purple Heart recipient, also served for 13 years as a police officer in Wayne. He is currently the chief of operations for the 99th Readiness Division’s Mission Command Support Group at the Joint Base.

“I’ve been blessed to have worked here and at the 78th Training Division, paying back those who got me ready for my five deployments,” he said, as quoted in an article on the U.S. Army Reserve website.

Carbone received a Purple Heart for injuries sustained while serving in Iraq in 2005, and in Afghanistan in 2011. He has also been awarded the Army Commendation Medal with Valor, two Bronze Stars, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Combat Action Badge.

“It was rough, it was honorable, and it was awesome,” Carbone said of his time serving overseas. “I got the greatest gift this country could ever give someone – I got to lead her sons and daughters in combat. I was trusted with that.”

The Jets’ Veteran of the Game program is part of the NFL’s Salute to Service Initiative, where the league and its 32 teams honor and support service members, veterans, and their families every year.

The Jets (2-3) will host the Bills (3-2) on Monday, Oct. 14 at MetLife Stadium, with kickoff set for 8:15 p.m. The game will air on ESPN.

Related article — Purple Heart Recipient, A Former Wayne Cop, Recounts Surviving IED Blast In Iraq