MADISONVILLE, TX (November 18, 2008) – Gilberto Arevalo of Madisonville High School, Madisonville, TX, has been selected to be a member of the second-annual U.S. Army All-American Marching Band, an honor celebrating the values and strengths these standouts share with Army Strong Soldiers. Arevalo will join a group of elite marching musicians selected to perform in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl halftime show on Saturday, January 3, 2009 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

“Gilberto is a tremendously skilled musician and a role model to many of his fellow band members,” said Colonel David Lee, Director of Strategic Communications, Marketing and Outreach for the U.S. Army Accessions Command. “We’re proud to be the title partner of a program that, like the Army, provides young Americans like Gilberto with experiences which strengthen them and help them succeed in life as leaders.”

The U.S. Army All-American Marching Band recognizes the top 97 high school senior marching musicians from across the country and showcases their talents during the largest celebration of high school football in America, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is the country’s premier high school football event, featuring the nation’s top 90 high school football players and telecast live on NBC. The All-American Marching Band musicians will follow in the footsteps of their U.S. Army All-American football player counterparts with this prestigious national honor.

Since its inception, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl has been the preeminent launching pad for America’s future college and NFL stars. Reggie Bush, Vince Young, Adrian Peterson and Tim Tebow all made their national debuts as U.S. Army All-Americans. Last year – the inaugural year for the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band – the All-American Bowl set its own attendance record, with 36,534 fans attending the game.

Arevalo, a standout alto sax player at Madisonville High School was selected by the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band Selection Committee, consisting of The National Association for Music Education (MENC), Drum Corps International (DCI), Head Director and Show Coordinator Bob Buckner, and SportsLink.