You Think You’re an Alaskan Superfan? This Alaskan Wears his Hometown Pride on his Back

JUNEAU, AK (March 14^th, 2022): With the recent release of our “Hometown Hazy” Juneau Juice, we’re turning the spotlight back onto the community which we’re proud to call home. Meet: First Sergeant Mark Silva. A born and raised Juneau-ite, Silva has taken his love of Alaska to the next level.

Mark reached out to us through social media to show us his custom made “Party Shirt”. According to Mark, the party shirt is an unofficial part of military uniform which they may don at the most formal military occasions. They’re intended to work within the strict dress guidelines of a formal event, but communicate something personal and intimate when they are allowed to remove their mess dress coat

He had the shirt custom made by Crazy Stitch Embroidery for the 688^th Cyberspace Wing’s Annual Awards. When asked what inspired the eccentric design he explained that he, “wanted to show off where I was from, a place I was proud to call home which is Juneau, AK. I wanted something different than most party shirts where people often opt to have their favorite sports team/s on it. I wanted to represent home, something meaningful to me, something that not only someone would look at and appreciate the shirt but also spark a conversation where we could talk about where we grew up.”

Being in the military, Mark meets many people, but he says he hasn’t met many service members from Alaska. However, he says that many people speak highly of the state, especially those who’ve been stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. Mark, a born and raised Alaskan, decided on the northern lights and trees as his sleeves because he loved watching them while working on the flightline as an aircraft maintainer.

“For the back, I had to go with something Alaskan Brewing Co. I love repping you guys anywhere I go and so far that’s been done by wearing hats, sweaters or shirts from many countries in Europe such as Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, France. I’ve also worn your gear and brought over some Alaskan Beer to New Zealand back in 2014.”

“Have I mentioned, I simply love you beer and have since day 1?” He joked before concluding, “This party shirt means a lot to me. I wear it with love and pride not only as an Alaskan, but also as a First Sergeant, and as an Air Force Airman.”

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