New York Islanders Honor Local Airmen During Military Appreciation Night at UBS Arena - 27 East
logo logo logo logo

Government / News / Southampton Press / 2053489

New York Islanders Honor Local Airmen During Military Appreciation Night at UBS Arena

icon 3 Photos
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jordan St. Clair, a pararescueman with the 106th Rescue Wing on Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, rappels onto the ice before the New York Islanders Veterans Day game Nov. 10. St. Clair was one of four pararescuemen invited to deliver the ceremonial first puck of the game. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Sarah McKernan)

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jordan St. Clair, a pararescueman with the 106th Rescue Wing on Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, rappels onto the ice before the New York Islanders Veterans Day game Nov. 10. St. Clair was one of four pararescuemen invited to deliver the ceremonial first puck of the game. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Sarah McKernan)

U.S. Air Force pararescuemen from the 106th Rescue Wing on Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, drop the puck for the Veteran's Day New York Islanders Game Nov. 10, 2022. The Islanders paid tribute to veterans during their game against the Arizona Coyotes by inviting the 106th pararescuemen to rappel onto the ice during the National Anthem and perform the ceremonial puck drop as the guests of honor with New York Islanders captain Anders Lee and Arizona Coyotes forward Christian Fischer. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Sarah McKernan)

U.S. Air Force pararescuemen from the 106th Rescue Wing on Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, drop the puck for the Veteran's Day New York Islanders Game Nov. 10, 2022. The Islanders paid tribute to veterans during their game against the Arizona Coyotes by inviting the 106th pararescuemen to rappel onto the ice during the National Anthem and perform the ceremonial puck drop as the guests of honor with New York Islanders captain Anders Lee and Arizona Coyotes forward Christian Fischer. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Sarah McKernan)

U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Eric Cooley, a pararescueman with the 106th Rescue Wing on Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, rappels onto the ice before the New York Islanders Veterans Day game November. 10. Cooley was one of four pararescuemen invited to deliver the ceremonial first puck of the game. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Sarah McKernan)

U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Eric Cooley, a pararescueman with the 106th Rescue Wing on Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, rappels onto the ice before the New York Islanders Veterans Day game November. 10. Cooley was one of four pararescuemen invited to deliver the ceremonial first puck of the game. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Sarah McKernan)

authorStaff Writer on Nov 16, 2022

Four pararescuemen from the 106th Rescue Wing at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton scored a major goal on November 10, when they rappelled down to the ice and performed the ceremonial puck drop during the New York Islanders Military Appreciation game against the Arizona Coyotes.

Senior Master Sergeant Sam Prescott, Master Sergeant Jordan St. Clair, Technical Sergeant Eric Cooley and Senior Airman Matt Pluhowski, all pararescuemen from the 103rd Rescue Squadron, slid down to the ice from the UBS Arena’s rafters during the national anthem. The quartet of honorees landed in four sections of the rink, then walked a blue carpet to center ice, where Prescott dropped the puck between Islanders captain Anders Lee and Coyotes forward Christian Fischer to the sound of roaring fans.

More than 500 tickets to the game were distributed to military members and their families in gratitude and appreciation for their service.

There were “I Salute” placards at each seat. Attendees were encouraged to write supportive messages and hold them up during the game.

You May Also Like:

A Hidden Oasis From the Hamptons Real Estate Market Will Be Plowed Under, as Tenants Scramble To Deal With the Fallout

The residents of Quail Ridge have for years lived one of those minor miracles of ... 24 Jun 2025 by Michael Wright

Support Shelter

I am a volunteer at Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation, and I see the valuable work they do. The Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, open-admission, no-kill shelter that relies on the generosity of donors to care for the homeless animals in our community. Last year alone, the shelter rescued and found homes for 768 dogs, cats, bunnies and a host of other animals. Southampton Town eliminated the shelter in 2010, and Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation was formed. We provide animals with housing, food, medical treatment, training and rehabilitation until their forever homes are found. Eighty percent of our ... by Staff Writer

A Step Forward

Congratulations to Rob Coburn on his election as Southampton Village trustee, and to Ed Simioni for running an impressive grassroots campaign that came close to victory. Despite being substantially outspent by Mayor Bill Manger’s well-funded war chest, Simioni’s message of open government, transparency and respect for all resonated with voters across the village. Simioni’s campaign was powered not by billionaire donors or political insiders but by year-round residents and local first-time voters inspired by his energy and work ethic. That kind of authentic support made it clear that the community is ready for a change. The final outcome revealed the ... by Staff Writer

Working Together

Running for mayor of Southampton Village was an incredible journey. This was a true grassroots campaign. Your support, your energy and your belief in our message for open, inclusive government was heard loud and clear and brought us within just 112 votes of winning. I ran because I believe in a better future for our village: cleaner water, safer streets, improved infrastructure, and open, transparent government. I want to congratulate Rob Coburn on being elected trustee, receiving the highest number of votes of any candidate. His independent voice will be a welcome addition to the board, and I look forward ... by Staff Writer

No Quick Fix

The old adage “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” still holds meaning today — and it would behoove our municipalities to keep that in mind when considering “quick fixes” being shopped around by salesmen promising to solve complex ecological problems. At a May 8 Southampton Village Board meeting, the board unanimously approved undergoing the State Environmental Quality Review Process to pursue a potential “quick fix” to addressing the accumulation of sediment in Old Town Pond [“Southampton Village Board Approves Environmental Review of Old Town Pond Bioaugmentation Plan,” 27east.com, May 13]. Up for consideration is the ... by Staff Writer

Easy, Tough Choices

The village elections presented a hard choice, and an easy one; unsurprisingly, the outcome reflected that. Rob Coburn was the easy choice. He is smart and offered fresh, independent perspectives and renewed energy. Choosing between Roy Stevenson and Robin Brown also seemed easy. Stevenson showed some independence in his common-sense approach talking about the tree bill, whereas Brown has always presented (as reinforced by her debate performance) the image of a nice but mostly disinterested “go-along-to-get-along” vote. Stevenson, however, came close to losing my vote (but didn’t) when asked, at the debate, about addressing Jesse Warren’s frequent criticisms. Snidely quoting ... by Staff Writer

Think Twice

Cyndi McNamara, after claiming she was “not opposed” to sand mine amortization, read a lengthy document into the record delineating what she claimed were procedural errors committed by the Southampton Town Board [“Southampton Town Board Adopts Sand Mine Amortization Law,” 27east.com, April 9]. If you were wondering why she went to such lengths, the answer is now clear. Just read the lawsuit recently filed by Sand Land against the town [“Sand Mines Sue Southampton Town Over Amortization Law,” 27east.com, May 7] — and remember her threats to all her fellow board members (on the record) at one of the first ... by Staff Writer

Totally Committed

I am humbled by the strong support I received from Southampton Village voters in last week’s mayoral election. I would like to sincerely thank all of those who voted to reelect me. And to those who did not, I hope to earn your support and respect as we continue to move forward addressing the business of the village. As I stated in my closing letter to the voters, I am totally committed to our village and serving all its residents. I am beholden to nobody but you. The work that lies ahead requires collaboration among all residents, workers and volunteers ... by Staff Writer

Speak Out

After reading the recent article “Sticker Shock at the Cost of Lawsuit Over Shinnecock Gas Station Project” [27east.com, June 4], I am appalled at the amount of money being spent on the town’s litigation. The amount of money being spent hourly on attorneys is more than most people’s weekly salary! The Southampton Town government received a letter on January 2 stating that the Shinnecock people were never removed from or abandoned the Westwoods territory, and that the land is their “Aboriginal” territory. Yet the Southampton Town Board is paying lawyers $1,500 an hour ($1.4 million in total so far) to ... by Staff Writer

Deep Gratitude

I want to express my deepest gratitude to the residents of Southampton Village for the opportunity to serve as your village trustee these past four years. It has been an extraordinary honor to work on behalf of this community and to make tangible progress together, whether it be beautifying our beaches, improving water quality, supporting local arts initiatives or making our roads safer. There are several initiatives I’m especially proud of from my time on the board. I was honored to serve as the board liaison to Coopers Beach; the liaison for public safety; for youth and seasoned citizens; and ... by Staff Writer