Army All-American Bowl to air Saturday

ARNEWS ^ | Jan 5, 2005

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Jan. 4, 2006) -- The 6th annual U.S. Army All-American Bowl will showcase the best high-school football players in the nation as it airs nationally on NBC beginning at noon (Central Standard Time) Jan. 7.

The game will also be streamlined live on the Web through Army Knowledge Online at www.us.army.mil. AKO access requires an account, officials pointed out, and they added QuickTime software will also be required to view the game.

All Soldiers and Army civilian employees are authorized AKO accounts. Family members and others can receive guest accounts if sponsored by an AKO account holder Those eligible for guest accounts include other service members, ROTC and military academy cadets, civilian employees of other services and military and Cabinet agencies, contractors, and family members of authorized account holders.

The bowl game will be a classic East vs. West showdown between high-school all-stars. It will also showcase Army equipment and troops at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Soldiers will participate in the pre-game and halftime shows, including a number who received medals in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"The Army sponsors the game to enhance its connection with America’s youth and to recognize excellence demonstrated by our youth,” said Col. Garrie Dornan, director of the Army’s Community Relations and Outreach Division.

The Army is proud to sponsor opportunities that help youth achieve their potential, Dornan said. The athletes playing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl share many of the characteristics that make Soldiers strong, he said, including leadership, teamwork, commitment to excellence and a desire to make a difference as members of a team.

“The Army All-American Bowl is the largest Army-sponsored event in America,” Dornan said. “It’s a fitting way for all Americans to come together to celebrate achievements of our youth, while paying tribute to the thousands of Soldiers who followed their ‘Call of Duty’ to serve our nation.”

The U.S. Army National Band Competition will follow the game at 4 p.m. and feature competition among the nation's top high-school marching bands. A U.S. Army Cheer Clinic for high-school cheerleaders will also take place this weekend in San Antonio with a guest appearance from the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.

For more information on the All American Bowl, go to www.army.mil/2006allamericanbowl/.