10 in 10: Military is an integral part of Nationals family

From the time they arrived from Montreal before the 2005 season, the Nationals have been a mainstay in the Washington, D.C., sports scene. But the Nats are also very active in the community, working diligently over the past decade to touch the lives of many in the region and proving that baseball has a further reach than wins and losses, balls and strikes, batters and pitchers. Each Thursday through mid-August, MASNsports.com's Byron Kerr will explore the Nationals' community outreach efforts, showing how far their reach has extended and how deeply committed to Washington, D.C., and the surrounding area the Nationals are.

The Nationals' relationship with the military goes back to the team's inception in D.C. and begins in the neighborhood where Nationals Park was built. The organization has made it a mandate to focus on military members and their families by getting them to games and by honoring their work and sacrifice through various hands-on projects.

Gregory McCarthy, the Nationals vice president of community engagement, said many fans want to say thank you to the military, and the Nationals provide a great way to do that at every home game.

"Besides being able to being able to give to our servicemen and women and their families, it's also a wonderful thing to do for our fans because many of our fans have said, 'I want to support the military, I believe in the military, I don't have the means to do it,' " McCarthy said. "They feel they as though they can actually be a loyal Nats fan, and do it through us, so it's really a double win."

Military families appreciate what the Nationals have done to help those who normally might not be able to go to a game.

"They don't get those experiences and to come here and know that they are special and they are truly appreciated, and to see everybody stand up and give the third-inning salute to the military really does lift people's spirits," McCarthy said.

In April of this season, the team attended the dedication of a new building in the Navy Yard. The Nationals supported the Navy Yard on the day of the shooting in September 2013, with a command center, food and a gathering, and a resting place for workers, military officers and their families. They have also continued to maintain relationship with the their close by neighbors by providing tickets to games.

"To this day, the Navy says to us time and time again, 'That meant so much to us, more than just what you did on that day, but to know that a team that has such a following cared about us, and you guys have sustained it over time, (it) is really meaningful,' " McCarthy noted.

The team visits the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center every season. Players and coaches spend time with wounded veterans who are undergoing physical therapy and join active duty service members for lunch in the USO center.

"What we hear from the medical people over there is the psychological (effects) to the men and women who are recovering is enormous," McCarthy said. "(The families say knowing) that are players are taking time out to go over there and talk to them and encourage them means quite a lot.

"Our players tell us it makes them better humans, better citizens and better players because they come back and look at what challenges these guys have overcome or are still overcoming and they say, 'I can do this, and my role as a player is to be that role model for that soldier recovering.' And, it makes them better people."

The Nationals sponsor military service game nights for all branches of the military, including the Coast Guard. McCarthy said these dedicated games have been a huge success.

"(What) the military tells us is their whole culture is about bonding and forming relationships that are going to be sustained during duress or in combat," McCarthy said. "And to be able to come out as a group and experience something totally happy like this really helps their basic mission."

McCarthy said the third-inning honoring of the military has become a tradition within Nationals Park. They have actually had a "great" problem this season as there are less and less wounded veterans, so they have expanded the program to those in the military who have served in combat who are attending the game.

"I think for a team that's so young and is still trying to develop traditions, that's one that we've cornered," McCarthy said of the third-inning salute.

The team also has a "Me and a Friend" program, which offers tickets to military families and their dependents while a spouse is deployed. This program is especially beneficial for military families who are new to the area and for their kids who are looking to make new friends, by offering them seats to a baseball game. The Nationals also works with TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) to help families who have suffered a casualty to provide tickets to games and other amenities.

Further, the Nationals offer premium seating in the Lexus Presidents Club for select military groups and their families during every home game. Military service members can also receive discounts to games. Tickets can be purchased through MWR and ITT offices at area bases and the Pentagon or online.

The military service dates include the patriotic series and military branch days:

* April 17: Military Appreciation Day
* May 23: Women in the Military
* July 4: Independence Day
* September 9: Heroes Day

* May 8: U.S. Navy Day
* June 1: U.S. Army Day
* July 21: U.S. Marine Corps Day
* August 6: U.S. Coast Guard Day
* September 18: U.S. Air Force Day

Miss any of the previous installments of "10 in 10" detailing the Nationals' community outreach efforts? Here is the list to date:

June 11 - Dream Foundation builds off success to introduce new initiative
June 18 - Nationals look to improve D.C. Little Leagues with new uniforms, equipment and fields
June 25 - Diabetes Care Complex critical to Dream Foundation mission
July 2 - ziMS Foundation has raised more than $1 million for MS research
July 9 - Span starts his own foundation to help single-parent families
July 16 - Storen makes a pitch for D.C. Public Library summer reading program
July 23 - Scherzer signs on to Cards for a Cause fundraiser
July 30 - Youth Baseball Academy completes new Science of Baseball curriculum