Kyle Palmieri: Squad 21

American Grit recently had the pleasure of getting to talk with Kyle Palmieri of the New Jersey Devils. Kyle is the leading force behind the organization Squad 21. The Squad 21 program is a military recognition program that allows military veterans to attend Devil’s home games and get an exclusive meet and greet with Kyle after the game. “It was an honor to meet some of these people who like I said have made such massive sacrifices for our country, me and my family and everyone in the United States,” Kyle told us.When talking with Kyle, he expressed how important it was for him to do what he could to honor the people that have sacrificed so much for this country. The sincerity in his voice was easy to hear as he told us about how having a sister in the National Guard and a brother-in-law in the Army made giving back to a community who has “sacrificed so much” even more important to him.Sacrifice is a word that came up quite a bit in the interview with Kyle as he talked about the way his family sacrificed in order for him to be successful, pouring in time and effort in order for him to get to where he’s at today. Kyle shared with us how much his family sacrificed and more specifically his father who devoted time to developing his skills in the rink. It’s evident where Kyle’s deep appreciation for the military and their service comes from.Squad 21 and Grunt Style partnering up allows two great organizations to continue to build each other up and do great things for the veteran community. “It’s such a huge part of my life that it’s an honor for me to be able to partner with Grunt Style, grow Squad 21 and grow the respect, giving thanks to our military.” The partnership allows both organizations to spread their messages to audiences that had previously not been spoken to, and in turn grow both organizations to ultimately provide the best experience for our veterans and military.

Wearing the camo colored jerseys gives Kyle a sense of pride on the military appreciation night knowing that he is a part of something bigger than himself as the force behind Squad 21. Kyle is extremely proud of all that Squad 21 has accomplished because it allows him to “give them a night that’s a little more special to them, than going to a random sporting event. I think being able to meet the men and women from our armed forces is a pretty special opportunity for me.” The whole evening is special, especially after seeing how much work goes into MIlitary Appreciation night.We look forward to seeing and hearing more from Kyle Palmieri and wish him and the Devil’s all the best on their 2017-2018 season.