U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Chris “Cathy” Eckel, a 2009 Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets alumnus who earned a degree in civil and environmental engineering from the College of Engineering and a minor in leadership studies from the Rice Center for Leader Development, was selected as the Hokie Hero for Saturday’s football game against Liberty.

The Hokie Hero program honors corps alumni who are deployed. Recipients are highlighted by Jon Laaser and Mike Burnop during their radio broadcast of Hokie football games, on the Corps of Cadets website, and in the Corps Review alumni magazine.

Eckel is stationed at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California, with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 6. He is with the USS Nimitz in the South China Sea and the Gulf of Oman on his second combat deployment flying the MH-60S in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Inherent Resolve, and Freedom Sentinel.

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