Divided by Tradition, United by Mission: Two Academy Grads on America’s Game

Last month, Shield AI announced X-BAT was named the Official Autonomous Aircraft of America's Game, pairing the world's most advanced defense technology with college football's oldest rivalry. To get in the Army-Navy spirit, we sat down with Shawna Moore (USMA '18) and Andrew Cornelius (USNA '09) to hear about their favorite gameday memories, reflections from active duty, and why they chose to carry the mission forward at Shield AI.

Inside Army/Navy Week

To the uninitiated, the Service Academies are monuments to military precision and buttoned-up decorum. But for one week every December, known as "Army Week" in Annapolis and "Navy Week" at West Point, all normal rules are suspended as campus descends into a frenzy of pranks and general mayhem.

At West Point, Shawna, a varsity equestrian athlete and future Artillery Officer, found herself tasked with high-priority perimeter defense.

"One of the most memorable parts of game prep was scheming to protect the Army mules from being stolen by Navy before the game. One year, we marked our dark horses with the Army 'A' as decoys. It worked like a charm!"

Two hundred miles south in Annapolis, Andrew was trying to stay vigilant as the 4,000-person dormitory of Bancroft Hall plunged into chaos.

"Bancroft Hall reeked of shaving cream, protein powder, and a medley of the finest condiments King Hall had to offer. As an upperclassman, you never stopped looking over your shoulder. You were clearing your doorway for shaving-cream tripwires-which was solid EOD practice in retrospect-or living in fear of a 'Princess Leia,' which was two slices of peanut-butter bread slapped over your ears, ruining your only inspection-ready uniform."

The Quest to Sing Second

After a week campus pandemonium, the Army-Navy game begins with absolute order. Before kickoff, all 9,000-plus cadets and midshipmen take the field for the "March-On": a precision parade into the stadium. To the millions watching on television, it is a stirring display of military discipline. To the students in formation, it's an endurance exercise in sub-freezing temperatures.

Shawna braved those elements at her hometown stadium twice, first as a fan and later at the front of the formation.

"The first Army-Navy game I attended was in 2013, before I was a cadet. It was at the Linc amidst a snowstorm, and of course culminated in an Army loss. My firstie [senior] year, I was leading the march-on in a snowstorm again at my home stadium in Philadelphia. This time, Army won. It felt like things had come full circle - I was so proud to now be a part of this tradition that I once watched with awe."

Army-Navy does involve some football, of course, and the rivalry on the field has delivered its share of legendary, hard-fought finishes over the years. But part of what separates Army-Navy from any other Saturday in college football are the traditions that bookend those four quarters of gameplay. After the final whistle, one such custom unfolds. Both student bodies stand at attention as the alma mater of each academy is played. By tradition, the losing team's song is first, while the winning team "sings second", a badge of ultimate bragging rights that historically came with an extra night of leave granted on the spot by the academy's Superintendent.

Andrew got to sing second throughout each of his four years as a Midshipman.

"It always felt great to sing second and get that sweet, sweet overnight from the Superintendent. The only thing better was going to the tailgate afterwards."

Army claimed victory in both Shawna's junior and senior years, offering an enduring lesson in grit.

"To me, Army-Navy is a story of commitment and resilience. It's easy to relish the feeling of victory while rushing the field and singing second in 2016 after Army broke the 14-year losing streak, but showing up to fight year after year, head held high, after a decade of defeats is the embodiment of the man in the arena - it pays off."

From the Academy to the Front Lines

The Army-Navy Game is often called "America's Game" because beyond the legendary rivalry, every player on the field has committed to serving their country. Within months of singing their respective alma mater songs, graduating seniors embark into operational units across the globe.

For Shawna, that transition meant commissioning into the Field Artillery, completing operational deployments to Afghanistan and Qatar, and ultimately serving in the highly selective 75th Ranger Regiment.

"Serving in the 75th Ranger Regiment for four years was the greatest honor of my career. Rangers don't just recite the creed, they live it every day. Regiment embodies what the Army is supposed to be: disciplined, selfless, accountable, and always refusing to accept defeat."

Andrew entered the Navy's Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) community, leading teams that find and disarm bombs. His service included combat operations in Iraq, disaster relief in support of Operation Tomodachi, and a deployment to Afghanistan with SEAL Team 7, where he provided EOD support to a SEAL platoon that included fellow Naval Academy graduate and future Shield AI co-founder Brandon Tseng.

"Army/Navy was one of the first things I did after returning from Afghanistan in 2013. It was a snowy year, but we still walked away with the W, and I can't think of a better homecoming than freezing in the parking lot outside Lincoln Financial Field."

Still Serving at Shield AI

When it came time to transition out of uniform, neither Shawna nor Andrew wanted a conventional corporate landing. They both sought the same high-stakes operational purpose and tight-knit culture they had known in military service.

For Andrew, finding a civilian environment that matched the trust and camaraderie of the EOD community was an elusive search until he found Shield AI.

"When I got out of the Navy, I bounced around quite a bit, my career felt more like a process of elimination than a clear plan. It was hard to find anything that came close to what I'd felt and experienced in the Navy and the EOD community. Shield AI is as close as I've gotten. The mission matters, but it's also the people I get to work with every day that make this job great. Doesn't hurt that we've got more Navy grads than Army, either."

For Shawna, that conviction crystallized while working on the frontlines in Eastern Europe.

"After living in Kyiv for almost two years, I joined Shield AI because I believe Hivemind is differentiated in the marketplace and postured to solve capability gaps that are critical to the continued defense of Ukraine. Shield's values and commitment to excellence make me proud to be a part of this team."

When the academies take the field for the 127th Army-Navy Game, the rivalry will be front and center. But behind the banter, Shield AI's veterans remain united by a single purpose: continuing the mission on a shared side of the line.