My first encounter with Evan Byrd was while instructing him with a group of youth about four years ago. For the rest of you around Rexburg, if you shop at Albertson’s regularly, this young gentleman has probably hauled your groceries out for you. My first impressions of Evan were that he was always on task and quick to volunteer. Apparently I read the young man right, because after completing his junior year at Sugar Salem High this past year he enlisted in the National Guard and made the commitment to serve our great nation. Image my outrage when I learned he was being mocked for the very thing many of us in his home community have been proud of him for taking on.

After enlisting Evan had to spend his summer break at basic training in Fort Knox Kentucky to learn how to serve our country. After returning home his welcome from the football coach was anything but warm. Because he had not attended summer camp he was told that he would have to sit out the first game. They allowed him to play the next two games but gave him a helmet that didn’t fit and pads that were broken and unfit for use. Regardless of equipment issues he still managed to pull off lots of tackles and even a few sacks.

Another student has complained that Evan was allowed to play even though he hadn’t attended summer camp. They’ve now pulled him from the roster and the Diggers defensive coach has been mocking him. The coach has been making a mockery of him, of Basic Training, the National Guard, and most of all Evan’s service in the Guard.

This is not an issue of whether or not someone gets to play football. This is about a man who made a commitment to serve our nation and is getting treated like a second class citizen because of it. Evan Byrd, at age 17, made a long term commitment to serve our nation and defend our freedoms. Please do whatever you can to show your support for Evan and all the others like him. If our service men and women are allowed to be treated like second class citizens it will discourage others from serving and then what will be the consequences.