The Pentagon Has Been Paying for Patriotic Moments

It's been a poorly guarded secret for some time now that the Pentagon has been paying the NFL for patriotic tributes to our troops, now there's proof.

Chances are when you see a soldier give his rendition of the National Anthem at a sporting event, or witness a touching military homecoming at one, it was not a charitable moment.

The event may have been paid for by the Pentagon, part of a multimillion-dollar program to promote the armed services and boost recruitment through patriotic events, game tickets, player appearances and other perks.

In a shocking revelation during an investigation and report spearheaded by Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake released yesterday, it was discovered that weekly "hometown hero" tributes hosted by the New York Jets and New England Patriots were paid for by taxpayer money. Then there was the unfurling of an American flag across the Georgia Dome's playing field during a 2013 Atlanta Falcons game as part of a $315,000 marketing contract.

The senators said they asked the Pentagon for documentation, and found $53 million in spending on marketing and advertising contracts with sports teams between 2012 and 2015, $10 million of which went to clubs in the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and Major League Soccer.

The investigation has been a long one and because of the pressure applied by the senators, in September, the Pentagon imposed more stringent guidelines on the agreements, Allen said. Those measures included a ban on contracts that require the military to pay for honors and stricter oversight and monitoring of sports marketing agreements.

Veterans, it goes without saying, are mad as a hornet about the arrangement, especially when Veteran's Benefits and VA Hospitals are having their funding cut.