SHREVEPORT, La. – The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl honors one of our nation's most outstanding and decorated citizens or groups each year with the Omar N. Bradley Spirit of Independence Award, and General Bryan P. Fenton has been named the 47th recipient of the prestigious award. GEN Fenton will be honored at halftime of the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl on Saturday, December 28.

“I’m extremely grateful, honored and humbled to accept this award on behalf of the 70,000 men and women of U.S. Special Operations Command,” said General Fenton.

General Fenton currently serves as the 13th Commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), located at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. where he oversees all Special Operations for the U.S. Department of Defense with 70,000 Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Special Operations personnel.

An extremely decorated Special Forces (Green Beret) Officer, General Fenton's awards and recognitions include the French Commando Badge, Cruz de la Victoria Medal from Chile, Princess of Thailand awarded Thai Jumpmaster Wings, University of Notre Dame's Moose Krause Service Award and Rev. William Corby Award for Distinguished Military Service, and the Business Executives for National Security Eisenhower Award.

"The Omar N. Bradley Spirit of Independence Award was created to honor some of our country's most outstanding men and women and recognize them for their dedication to helping others and symbolizing freedom, and General Fenton embodies what this award stands for," said 2024 Independence Bowl Foundation Chair Claire Rebouche. "He has dedicated his life to serving this nation and protecting our freedoms, and we are proud to honor him as the 47th recipient of this prestigious award."

Before assuming command of USSOCOM, General Fenton was the Commander of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), and prior to that, he was the Senior Military Assistant for two U.S. Secretaries of Defense.

He has held a multitude of general officer assignments in his career, including Deputy Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Commander of U.S. Special Operations – Pacific, and Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army's 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii.

Throughout his long military career, General Fenton has deployed numerous times. He participated in Operation Joint Force in Bosnia, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Africa, Operations Iraqi Freedom and Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Operation Pacific Eagle in the Phillipines. He has also served in Areas of Responsibility – including U.S. Southern Command, U.S. European Command, U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Central Command and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. 

The Omar N. Bradley Spirit of Independence Award was established during the Independence Bowl's second year in 1977 to honor an outstanding citizen or organization who symbolizes the spirit of freedom upon which the United States of America was founded. General Omar N. Bradley, the nation's only living 5-star general at the time, was the first recipient of the Spirit of Independence Award in 1977.

Since the award's inception, this honor has been bestowed upon outstanding American citizens and organizations. Some past recipients include John Wayne, Bob Hope, President Ronald Reagan, Vietnam and World War II Veterans, 9/11 Heroes, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and more recently – the Tuskegee Airmen, Berlin Airlift Veterans, Veterans of the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, retired Marine Corporal Jacob P. Schick, Brigadier General Jeannie M. Leavitt, retired Air Force General James M. Kowalski, retired Army Lieutenant General Joseph M. Cosumano, the Veterans of Operation Senior Surprise and the Women Airforce Service Pilots.

The 48th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl kicks off on Saturday, December 28 at 8:15 p.m. CST. Tickets start at $20 and are on sale now at RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com/Tickets/. There are a bevy of ticket packages available – including individual tickets, group tickets, Pizza Hut Family 4-Packs, Small Business Fan Packs, premium options and more. For ticketing questions, fans can email info@independencebowl.org or call the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl office at (318) 221-0712.

For information on Independence Stadium rules and the clear bag policy, please visit RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com/stadium-rules/.

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