CAMBRIDGE, Md. - A Cambridge native will help deliver one of the Super Bowl’s most anticipated traditions when fighter jets roar overhead during the national anthem.
Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Grier, a graduate of Cambridge-South Dorchester High School, is serving with a U.S. Navy fighter squadron supporting the Super Bowl LX flyover on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Grier is a Navy pilot assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 192, one of several units taking part in the flyover. The eight-aircraft formation will include F/A-18 Super Hornets and F-35C Lightning IIs from the Navy, along with aircraft from the U.S. Air Force, according to Navy officials.
After graduating from Cambridge-South Dorchester High School in 2011, Grier attended the U.S. Naval Academy, earning a bachelor’s degree in quantitative economics in 2015. He joined the Navy 11 years ago, inspired in part by his grandfather, a Naval Academy graduate who served during the Korean War.
“I always wanted to be a pilot,” Grier said. “My grandfather graduated from the Naval Academy and served in the Korean War as a submariner. That inspired me to want to serve and pursue the ultimate flying opportunity.”
Grier said growing up in Cambridge helped shape the values he carries into his military career.
“I grew up in a pretty small town, and one thing that I’ve taken from that is a sense of community,” Grier said. “I’ve realized the naval aviation community is a lot smaller than most people realize, and fostering relationships with people that you interact with, no matter how short those interactions are, can really pay dividends in the long run.”
Navy officials say the flyover highlights the service’s role in national defense as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, honoring the men and women who serve around the world.