“About two or three weeks ago, Kilian called me and said, ‘Guess what? I’m going to be at the Super Bowl!’ It was very exciting,” Kilian’s mother, Holly Abers, told the OBSERVER.

Indeed, her son, a sergeant in the U.S. Army, could be seen second from the left just behind pop star Demi Lovato, who sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the pre-game show. “He’s part of the Old Guard (Continental Color Guard), which is part of the fourth battalion, third infantry regiment based in Fort Myer in Virginia,” she explained. “We were so excited to hear that he would be on the field during the national anthem.”

A familiar challenge for many military parents is recognizing their child in group photos. “It’s almost like ‘Where’s Waldo?’ Everyone is in uniform and their caps come down over their faces, so it’s always a challenge to know who’s who!” said Abers. “But they had a rehearsal on Friday, and he sent me a picture showing me the line-up and where he would be.”

Following the national anthem, Abers said that her son sent photos and videos from the game. He also had the opportunity to meet Lovato during a rehearsal. “You don’t think about possibilities like these when your child joins the military,” Abers told the OBSERVER. “It was an amazing experience for him to be a part of, and he loved watching the game afterwards!”

Submitted Photos Kilian Abers during his time playing various sports for Pine Valley High School.

In 2016, Kilian graduated from Pine Valley Central School, where he played baseball, basketball and football. He is part of a long legacy of Pine Valley graduates in his family. “Pine Valley is my alma mater, and my father’s and Kilian’s father’s alma mater,” Abers told the OBSERVER. “My mother was secretary at Pine Valley for over 30 years. I’m currently dean of students and have been a teacher at the district for the past 20 years. It’s home to us.”

According to Abers, joining the military had been a dream of her son’s “for as long as I can remember,” she said. “His grandfather, my father, is a Vietnam veteran and was a big influence on him. Kilian just re-enlisted for another four years, and we’re very proud of him.”

Abers explained that while Kilian was in basic training, he was promoted to private first class before graduating. “He found out that you could apply for the Old Guard, and he sort of hemmed and hawed,” she said. “He really wanted to be in the infantry, boots on the ground. But they came to him and encouraged him to apply because of his leadership skills and his build.”

Abers told the OBSERVER that soldiers considered for the color guard must meet stringent physical requirements, including a certain height, weight and waist size, and Kilian’s tall, lean build was an ideal fit.

“Kilian’s since been part of a lot of high-visibility missions at the White House, the Capitol and the Pentagon,” said Abers. “He was at President Trump’s inauguration. Typically, they don’t keep soldiers at Fort Myer, but there will be another inauguration coming up, which is most likely why he’s still there.”

AP Photo U.S. Army Sgt. Kilian Abers, a Pine Valley graduate, is pictured second from the left behind Demi Lovato as she sings “The Star-Spangled Banner” before the Super Bowl Sunday.

Abers has been amazed at the support from the school district, as well as friends, family and community members for Kilian’s Super Bowl appearance, and especially for his military service.

“It’s been amazing! Just recently, Roger Chagnon, our band and music teacher, gave a shout-out to all military members, including Kilian,” said Abers. “It’s a very tight-knit community. Unfortunately, there isn’t always a lot of respect for students who join the military after high school, instead of going to college. Sometimes, there’s this mentality that if you can’t cut it, you just go into the military and get ‘straightened out.’ The military is actually very difficult, and Kilian faced some big challenges.”

Among those include color blindness, which Abers said reduced his options, as well as ankle surgery as the result of a high school sports-related injury. “He had to get a medical waiver to even be able to go into the military,” she explained.

Abers is pleased to report that her son is thriving and recently earned his Excellence in Infantry Badge after a month of rigorous training and testing at Fort Campbell in Kentucky. “The success rate is fairly low, and I’m so proud that he earned his badge in November,” said Abers.

Abers hopes to see Kilian some time this spring. “In May, my dad will be part of the Honor Flight out of Buffalo, and I’ll be his guardian,” said Abers of the annual trip for area veterans to visit the war monuments in Washington, D.C. “Sometimes the color guard greets these flights when they come into Washington, and I hope that it might be possible to make that happen with Kilian.”