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A Morristown native is set to take part in the military flyover for Super Bowl LX this weekend.

Petty Officer 1st Class Braxton Smithson, a Morristown-Hamblen High School West graduate, performs maintenance for the “Warhawks” of Strike Fighter Squadron VFA 97, making sure that repairs are made and that the aircraft are mission ready.

Smithson will be part of the flyover for this weekend’s Super Bowl LX above Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California Sunday afternoon.

An eight-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, he is the second member of his family to serve in the branch. His grandfather served as a gunner’s mate on the USS Essex during the Korean War.

“They wanted the best of the best for this crew going to the Super Bowl, and they got it,” Smithson said.

“My grandfather served in the Navy during the Korean War aboard the USS Essex as a gunner’s mate,” Smithson said. “No one else in my family has joined since, so I thought, why not?”

Smithson will be aboard one of the eight aircraft making up the flyover formation that will fly above Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Sunday. Sunday’s Super Bowl will have the AFC Champion New England Patriots taking on the NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks.

Strike Fighter Squadron NINE SEVEN (VFA) 97 is an F-35C Lightning II squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore and assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) TWO.

The squadron was established on June 1, 1967 as Attack Squadron NINE SEVEN (VA-97) and redesignated to Strike Fighter Squadron NINE SEVEN (VFA-97) on January 24, 1991. VFA-97 has a long history of professionalism and deep-rooted traditions that date back to the Vietnam era.

To this day, the Warhawks of VFA-97 continue to be at the forefront of naval aviation and strive to be prepared for any conflicts that may arise moving forward into the 21st century.