Free Republic

BALTIMORE, Dec. 24, 2009 – As the rest of Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport bustled with holiday travelers yesterday, its USO Lounge offered military travelers -- many returning home from overseas deployments -- a welcome sanctuary of solace. The USO Lounge at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport offers military travelers a respite from crowded airport terminals, particularly during the holiday season. DoD photo by Donna Miles  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The lounge is conveniently positioned near the international departure gates on the airport’s lower level. Yet, to the dozens of servicemembers who took refuge here yesterday afternoon, it...

Dave Attell, a stand-up comedian, gets a crowd of service members laughing during a United Service Organization holiday show aboard Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Dec. 19. Attell and other celebrities showed their support and appreciation for service members deployed throughout Iraq on their USO tour. Photo by Cpl. Triah Pendracki, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Fwd). AL ASAD AIR BASE — The United Service Organization brought some Christmas spirit to the troops here, Dec. 19, as well-known celebrities took to the stage to show support. "To see the smiles and reaction of the troops is truly a precious gift," said...

12/17/2009 - BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- Hundreds of Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines gathered here Dec. 15, to enjoy a United Service Organizations' Holiday Troop Visit tour featuring country singer and actor Billy Ray Cyrus, tennis pro Anna Kournikova, acclaimed comedian Dave Attell and legendary tennis coach and inspirational speaker Nick Bollettieri. The celebrities are joining The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen and his wife, Deborah Mullen, for an USO-sponsored holiday troop visit as part of a 13-show whirlwind tour to boost the troops' spirits during the holiday season. Mr. Atell, known for his...

Bob Hope's last Christmas Tour 1972 In 1996, the U.S. Congress honored Bob Hope by declaring him the "first and only honorary veteran of the U.S. armed forces." Bob Hope appeared in or hosted 199 known USO shows.

During the Summer of 2007, I was approached by a group of concerned veterans in regard to a problem they had run into. These men had been attempting to get approval to have a USO-style facility put into the local airport. Without such a facility, soldiers traveling through McCarran Airport have had to sleep on the floor while waiting for a connecting flight—sometimes up to 3 nights in a row. Their food costs are as high as $20 for a dinky sandwich and a small bottle of juice. The average soldier is paid roughly just a bit over minimum wage....

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, July 16, 2009 – Celebrities stopped by here yesterday to entertain troops as part of the star-studded USO’s Summer Troop Visit. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the celebrities are travelling throughout the U.S. Central Command area of operations to thank troops for their service and sacrifice. The celebrities include actors Bradley Cooper and D.B. Sweeney, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Warrick Dunn, National Football League Hall of Famer Don Shula, and sports commentator and model Leeann Tweeden. The group’s first stop was aboard the USS Ronald Reagan, an aircraft...

Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher (right) and Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher share some laughs with U.S. servicemembers during a National Football League coaches USO tour of Iraq, at Al Faw Palace, Baghdad, July 2. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Edwin L. Wriston, Joint Combat Camera Center – Iraq. KIRKUK — It was a long line for Soldiers and Airmen, but awaiting them at the end were legendary NFL coaches ready to sign photos, shirts or anything else you could scribble a signature on. The coaches, who included New York Giants’ Coach Tom Coughlin, Baltimore Ravens’...

The soldiers expressed their gratitude over and over to the NFL coaches who made the trip to Iraq. "They kept thanking us," said the Tennessee Titans' Jeff Fisher. "We kept thanking them." Fisher, the New York Giants' Tom Coughlin, the Baltimore Ravens' John Harbaugh, former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden are taking part in the first NFL-USO coaches tour over the Fourth of July weekend. A world they knew only through the distant glimpses of news reports turned very real for the coaches as they met with hundreds of soldiers in three...

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq, June 26, 2009 – The familiar refrain of “There’s nothing to do around here after work” will hopefully be a thing of the past here with the opening of a new center for rest and relaxation. Workers install padding on the floor of the new Morale, Welfare and Recreation fitness center at Contingency Operating Base Basra, Iraq, June 24, 2009. The fitness center is slated to open July 1and is one of the services MWR will offer in cooperation with United Service Organizations, which is also housed in the building. U.S. Army photo by Sgt....

Stephen Colbert interviews special guest Gen. Ray Odierno, commanding general of the Multi-National Force - Iraq during Monday night's episode of "The Colbert Report." Photo by Lee Craker. CAMP VICTORY, BAGHDAD — It is official - Stephen Colbert came, saw and conquered Iraq, claiming victory on day three of his six-day adventure to the Middle East. Arriving in a C-17 from Kuwait, Colbert landed at the Baghdad International Airport, June 5, and began preparing for his shows at Camp Victory's Al Faw Palace, as part of his tour "Operation Iraqi Stephen: Going Commando." "We wanted to call it 'Feelin HOT,...

Guitar legend Huey Long, the last surviving member of the original Ink Spots, died June 10 in Houston at the age of 105. Long was born in Sealy, Texas. He worked various jobs in the Houston area until he got his big break playing banjo in the Frank Davis Louisiana Jazz Band. In 1936, Bill Kenny, the leader of the Ink Spots, talked Long into leaving the jazz trio joining the Ink Spots. ...He moved back to Houston in the 90s, having written and arranged more than 80 songs. Long is survived by his daughter, Houston resident Anita Long, and...

LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, June 3, 2009 – Soldiers at Forward Operating Base Shank here gathered May 27 for the dedication of the first “USO in a Box.” Army Lt. Col. Eugene Shearer, Army Command Sgt. Maj. Shelton Williamson, Army Col. Marcus Cochran and Kevin Meade cut the ribbon at the grand opening of the USO’s first portable facility at Forward Operating Base Shank in Afghanistan’s Logar province, May 27, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Amber Robinson  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The facility was dedicated to the soldiers who serve, have served and to those who have...

SAN DIEGO (Army News Service, May 29, 2009) -- Aboard the USS Midway Friday the U.S. Postal Service released the 44-cent Bob Hope commemorative stamp on what would have been the world-renowned entertainer and philanthropist's 106th birthday. Although Hope never officially served in the military, he dedicated a significant part of his life to entertaining the country's men and women in uniform starting in 1941 and continuing through Operation Desert Storm 50 years later. After giving hundreds of performances overseas he earned the nickname "G.I. Bob" and in 1997 he became the first person ever recognized by Congress as an...

WASHINGTON, April 29, 2009 – Country music megastar Toby Keith has performed for rowdy, appreciative troops more than 130 times over seven straight years. But during this year’s “America’s Toughest Tour,” he said, “The boys and girls were rockin' and laughin' like never before.” Country music megastar Toby Keith started his seventh USO tour in Afghanistan April 21, 2009, and has been putting on shows at a series of remote forward operating bases, most of which haven't had any outside entertainment come through in six months. Here, Keith entertains Marines at FOB #2 in Bakwa. Looking over his shoulder,...

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan, April 28, 2009 – Country singer and troop supporter Toby Keith finished up a 15-show tour in Afghanistan yesterday as he drew near the end of his seventh tour with the United Service Organizations. Service members crowd the stage April 27, 2009, at Bagram Air Field, to catch a photo of Toby Keith during his concert in Afghanistan. This was Keith’s seventh tour with the United Service Organizations. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Michael Greenberger   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Keith spent five days criss-crossing the war-torn country visiting bases large and small in...

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2009 – The USO of Metropolitan Washington unveiled the newest addition to its arsenal in a brief ceremony at the Pentagon today. The USO Mobile Canteen is a 34-foot vehicle that will deploy throughout the Washington Metropolitan Region in support of community events and on military installations to support events and training exercises. “I think this is an example, yet again, of Metro USO’s commitment to support our troops and their families no matter where they’re serving,” said Deborah Mullen, wife of Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “Having this is...

CAMP EGGERS, Afghanistan, April 22, 2009 – Max Martini, who plays Army Master Sgt. Mack Gerhardt in the CBS show “The Unit,” raced up a steep hill at a combat outpost in 28 seconds. Actor Robert Patrick from the CBS television series "The Unit" cheers on fellow cast member Max Martini in a race with soldiers assigned to Combat Outpost Deysie, Afghanistan, April 22, 2009. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is on a six-day tour of the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility escorting a USO tour, meeting with counterparts and visiting troops....

RALLY FOR THE TROOPSThe seventh annual Rally for Troops was held in Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday, April 19, 2009, on Public Square from 11 a.m. to noon.  It featured tributes to military personnel and veterans.  Motorcycle processions from various Harley-Davidson dealerships in Northeast Ohio arrived downtown at 10 a.m.  Organizers said last year an estimated 5,000 motorcyclists attended the event, which is held regardless of the weather. Here are some pictures of this event.

FORT BELVOIR, Va., April 9, 2009 – While many children are spending their spring break away from the schoolhouse on the couch watching television or playing video games, some spent part of their week off this year volunteering and giving back to their military community. Rebecca Stoffer, right, places a USO care package into a shipping box for deployed troops during a care package party April 9, 2009, at Fort Belvoir, Va. Stoffer and her two children were among 70 volunteers, including more than 50 children ages 3 to 17, who spent the day filling care packages with toiletries...

ARLINGTON, Va., March 26, 2009 – The United Services Organizations honored members of the U.S. military and those who support them during an event held here last night that recognized selfless service and volunteerism . From left: Army Spc. Brent Hendricks, Air Force Tech. Sgt. Israel Del Toro, Army Sgt. Kurtis Dellicker, and Army Sgt. Jason Shepperly listen as Comedian Al Franken shares a few words about his commitment to the United Service Organization during the USO-Metro 27th Annual Awards dinner at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Arlington, Va., March 25, 2009. The wounded warriors had just presented the...

FORT MYER, Va., Feb. 2, 2009 – For the third straight year, the National Football League and the USO of Metropolitan Washington teamed up to sponsor a Super Bowl party for Washington-based servicemembers and their families. Washington Redskins cheerleaders Michelle, left, and Megs give Army Pfc. Sean Dozire an autographed Redskins Cheerleaders Calendar during a Super Bowl XLIII party Feb. 1, 2009, at Spates Community Club on Fort Myer, Va. The USO-Metro and National Football League hosted the party for wounded warriors, military members and their families. U.S. Army photo by Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden   (Click photo...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2009 – “Kuwait” and “all the comforts of home” are phrases rarely uttered in the same sentence, but a “Man Caves” makeover at Camp Virginia, Kuwait, will show that sometimes the improbable can happen. Tony Siragusa, second from right, former National Football League player and co-host of DIY Network TV’s “Man Caves,” bonds with members of an Ohio National Guard unit during a taping of the show’s one-hour special, “Man Caves: USO Troop Edition.” DIY courtesy photo   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The DIY Network TV show regularly turns basements and dens into guy-friendly...

This year’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff USO Holiday Tour has played at an aircraft hangar in Germany, in a maintenance facility and in an in-processing facility here in Afghanistan. The tour’s stars -- Kid Rock, Kellie Pickler, Lewis Black, Tichina Arnold, Zac Brown, Kathleen Madigan and John Bowman -- have played far more prestigious venues, but probably none as appreciative. And their usual audiences generally don’t get this warning: “In case of a rocket attack, let’s do what we always do – hit the ground and count to 100,” Army Brig. Gen. John Nicholson, deputy commanding general...

The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders and Kid Rock - not a bad combination. http://www.thebulletin.us/articles/2008/12/19/news/nation/doc494b219a3d7cc768479182.txt

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Dec. 17, 2008 – This year’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff USO Holiday Tour has played at an aircraft hangar at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, in “the Clamshell” at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, in a maintenance facility at Forward Operating Base Sharana in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, and in an in-processing facility here. The tour’s stars -- Kid Rock, Kellie Pickler, Lewis Black, Tichina Arnold, Zac Brown, Kathleen Madigan and John Bowman -- have played far more prestigious venues, but probably none as appreciative. And their usual audiences generally don’t get this warning: “In case of a...

OSAN AIR BASE, Korea, Nov. 12, 2008 – Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright is halfway through a six-country, eight-day USO tour to bring entertainment to troops Nov. 9-16. Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright poses for a photo with an airman during a visit to Osan Air Base, Korea, Nov. 12, 2008. Cartwright took a USO show to visit Osan, Kunsan Air Base and Camp Casey. DoD photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Adam M. Stump  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2008 – The Jack Daniel distillery and United Service Organizations will enlist the help of military spouses and other volunteers to assemble 10,000 Operation USO care packages at a "stuffing party" Sept. 18 at Fort Bragg, NC. The event – called "Toast to the Troops" - will include a barbecue for volunteers and guests and a special celebration concert by country music star and Army veteran Craig Morgan, who served 11 years on active duty and another six years in the Army Reserve. Since 2005, the distillery has been collecting personal messages of support in the...

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 26, 2008 – Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind the program “Sesame Street,” and the United Service Organizations joined forces to bring “The Sesame Street Experience for Military Families” to 43 installations across the country. Amanda Moran of Military OneSource, helps Kassandra Chavez, 11, and her brother José, 9, put beading kits into a bag Aug. 10, 2008, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. The table was one of many with giveaways and information at the “Sesame Street Experience.” U.S. Army photo by Cheryl Harrison  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “The tour travels for...

Here's an act of compassion for our soldiers that needs re-doing today! "Hollywood Canteen" Plot Summary: Two soldiers on sick leave spend three nights at the Hollywood Canteen before going back to active duty. With a little friendly help from John Garfield, Slim gets to kiss Joan Leslie, who he has been dreaming about while in the Pacific. He meets her later at the Farmer's Market. On the third night, Slim is the millionth man into the Canteen, earning him a date with Joan. Slim thinks he's been duped when she doesn't show up at his train. Slim's buddy...

Imagine the delight on the faces of troops in Iraq when Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt arrive to put on a show. One can only assume that Montag will sing and Pratt will glare at soldiers with his simultaneously vacant and menacing Svengali leer. People.com reports that the reality show duo will visit the troops in homage to Montag's stepbrother, who served as an airborne ranger before he died in an accident stateside. Apparently, John McCain's daughter Meghan plans to help the two with their travel plans. From People:

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, July 16, 2008 – Modern-rock band Sevendust put on a performance like no other for servicemembers here July 12 at the final stop on their first United Service Organizations tour. Soldiers at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, pose with members of the band Sevendust after a July 12, 2008, performance by the band. The performance completed Sevendust’s first USO tour. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Scott Davis, Combined Joint Task Force 101  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Although the band is not known for playing acoustic sets, they still managed to put out a diverse sound that...

WASHINGTON, July 8, 2008 – Movies and games have always been popular among deployed troops, providing a break from the intense daily realities of their duties and a way to fill downtime while away from their loved ones. With that in mind, Blockbuster stores nationwide, in partnership with United Service Organizations, are making it easy for Americans to donate video games and DVDs to deployed forces. “The DVD and game drive is a way for Blockbuster stores and the American public to make life a little better for U.S. servicemen and women when they’re so far away from home,”...

July 5, 2008: A new morale building effort, for U.S. troops overseas, comes in the form of a suitcase size box containing a portable projector and screen, an Xbox video game, DVDs, magazines, snacks and a satellite based high-speed Internet hook-up. This box is for remote bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, manned by fewer than fifty troops. If the "USO In A Box" works, it will be distributed to small navy and marine contingents at sea. The box is, in fact, another effort by the USO (United Service Organizations) to cheer up the troops in wartime. The USO was formed...

My 66-year life with the Second and Orange USO began at age 7 when my father, active in the war effort, served on its dedication committee in April 1942. The war dominated my childhood and indelibly shaped my personal and professional life as a naval officer and historian. As a boy, I played war games with friends in our Forest Hills neighborhood, and we followed every inch of the news. We boys believed our troops overseas won the war because of us. To see, touch and talk to real soldiers and Marines, we visited them at the county’s USOs, including...

WASHINGTON, May 23, 2008 – When country music star Wynonna Judd stepped on stage in the Wagner Sports Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here yesterday, it was all about the love. Army Spc. Chauncy Clayton, a patient administrator at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, is called to the stage by Wynonna Judd so she could playfully correct his pronunciation of her name. He had improperly put the emphasis on “nona.” “It’s WHY-nona,” the star playfully chastised in her country accent. Defense Department photo by Fred W. Baker III  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “Over a year...

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, May 20, 2008 – Historically speaking, Vikings and Afghanistan don’t have much in common, but all that changed yesterday when five cheerleaders from the National Football League’s Minnesota Vikings pumped up a standing-room-only crowd of servicemembers here. New Zealand army Cpl. Murray Kinnell holds up the “No. 1” sign as Minnesota Vikings cheerleaders Amanda and Sarah cheer him on. Kinnell competed, and was unanimously voted best, in a “touchdown dance” competition during the cheerleaders’ performance at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, May 19, 2008. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace, Combined Joint Task...

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2008 – Servicemembers transiting through Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, near Washington, D.C., now have a new area to spend time between flights after the recent dedication of a new United Service Organizations lounge. Military and government leaders participate in a ribbing-cutting ceremony to officially open the new United Service Organizations lounge at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on May 8, 2008. From left are: Bill Fairl, of CACI; Paul Maladrino, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport manager; David Speck, of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority; Jon Love, with Pitney Bowes; Virginia Sen. Patsy Ticer; Ned Powell, with...

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Country star Toby Keith was performing for U.S. troops in Afghanistan last week when the military base he was singing at came under fire, according to People. Keith and his band were in the middle of the song "Weed With Willie" when mortar fire on the base in Kandahar erupted, sending the band and the troops looking for cover. "We all ran about 100 yards to a concrete bunker," Curt Motley, the singer's agent who was with him on the USO tour, told People. Keith is currently on an 18-show USO tour throughout the Persian Gulf. The...

6th Annual Rally for the Troops will be held on Sunday April 20, 2008 at 11:00 PM in downtown Cleveland’s Public Square. Free Parking at Tower City Parking lots. Last year an estimated 5000 motorcyclist attended the Rally. Bikes will stage at 8:30 AM from Cleveland Harley Davidson Sales Company (W145 and Lorain), Lake Erie Harley Davidson (Avon Ohio); South East Harley Davidson (Bedford Hts. Ohio) and Western Reserve Harley Davidson (Mentor Ohio). Bikes will depart for downtown Cleveland at 9:30 AM. Jim Mantel of WGAR will MC the Rally and Monica Robins of WKYC will sing the National Anthem....

WASHINGTON, April 15, 2008 – Military spouses and United Service Organizations volunteers will have a chance to join the Jack Daniel’s Distillery in offering a “Toast to the Troops” and enjoy a performance by country music star Craig Morgan at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., April 19. The event will be the third year Jack Daniel’s and the USO have conducted the "Toast to the Troops" campaign. The goal this year is to assemble 10,000 USO Care Packages for troops serving overseas. But the day won’t be all work for those participating. They’ll also enjoy a special barbecue and...

SAN FRANCISCO, April 14, 2008 – As the sun began setting over the city here April 11, retired Air Force Col. Ray Slifka was on duty at the San Francisco International Airport United Service Organizations lounge, providing hospitality and assistance to travel-weary military travelers and their families transiting through the airport. Navy Seaman Melissa Marrs makes herself comfortable at the United Service Organizations lounge at San Francisco International Airport while awaiting a flight to San Diego as she makes a permanent-change-of-station move from Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan. Photo by Donna Miles  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Slifka,...

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- I talked with commissioner Roger Goodell Friday night about my USO trip... and I probably got a little excited about our week in the middle of the war. "Sounds like a life-changing experience for you,'' Goodell said. Not exactly, but close.

WASHINGTON — Comedian Ron White is hoping to tour with overseas troops again this summer, as long as the military lets him drink on stage. “We let them know I’m no angel, and I’m not coming over to convert anyone to ‘angelism,’” he said, taking a swig from his ever-present glass of whiskey. “I’m going over there to make some guys laugh who need a good laugh. “Luckily, they’ve been pretty liberal with me in the past.” White, best known for his work in the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, visited bases in Germany and Belgium two years ago as part...

3/6/2008 - MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFPN) -- Three National Football League stars and a senior sports writer visited Manas Air Base Airmen as part of a United Service Organizations tour March 4 here. San Diego Chargers Luis Castillo, Chicago Bears Tommie Harris, Carolina Panthers Mike Rucker and Sports Illustrated writer Peter King arrived in Kyrgyzstan to show their support as they visit servicemembers throughout the region. Manas AB is home to the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, which serves as a mobility hub for Operation Enduring Freedom and International Security Assistance Force missions. Strategically situated as the only U.S. base...

Scarlett Johansson smiles after being pinned with gunnery sergeant rank during a meet and greet Jan. 20 in the United Service Organizations building at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. The 23-year-old bombshell met with nearly 600 service members at Camp Buehring, Kuwait Jan. 20 during her five-day United Service Organizations (USO) tour to the Gulf region Scarlett Johansson poses for a photo with Marines of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit Jan. 20 in the United Service Organizations building at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. The 23-year-old bombshell met with nearly 600 service members at Camp Buehring, Kuwait Jan. 20 during her five-day United...

The chairman of the United Service Organizations defended its decision to pair with MoveOn.org to provide phone cards to U.S. troops after some USO board members were outraged by a partnership with a group that opposes the Iraq war. At least one board member, Vietnam veteran John Gioia, called for USO President Edward Powell to be fired over his decision to accept more than $350,000 from MoveOn's members to buy phone cards for troops overseas. In September, MoveOn angered opponents and even some supporters by placing an advertisement in the New York Times in advance of congressional testimony by Gen....

"And so we choose the men and women of the USO, bringing a little fun and a nation's thanks to those who serve us far from home."

U.S. AIR BASE, Kuwait – Army Staff Sgt. Andrew Guffey was assigned to the distinguished visitors just arriving to the airbase in the middle of the Kuwaiti desert. The 27-year-old native of Pangburn, Ark., with 10 and a half years of military service was on his first tour of the Middle East and assigned the duty of looking after members of the press. The occasion was the USO tour just before Christmas hosted by Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Guffey had the photographers and military media under control so he would have the time...

Kid Rock performs some of his most popular songs for the gathered troops during the 2007 USO Christmas show, Dec. 19, at Camp Ramadi. Photo by Spc. Ricardo Branch, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs. CAMP RAMADI — The United Service Organization brought its Holiday Troop Visit Tour to the service members and civilians here with a special show at the Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) center, Dec. 19. Adm. Michael G. Mullen, the 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, opened the show to an excited crowd of more than 600 attendees.“You all do a...

KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Dec. 23, 2007 – Military men and women in eastern Kunar province were surprised Dec. 21 by a visit from the Army’s top enlisted soldier and several celebrities at the remote Camp Blessing, Afghanistan. Country music singer Darryl Worley (center) sings for military men and women Dec. 21, 2007, at the Camp Blessing dining facility in Kunar province, Afghanistan, accompanied by band mates Scott Randon (left), and Jeff Jared. Worley was a part of the sixth annual Hope and Freedom USO Tour, hosted by the sergeant major of Army. Worley, four Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, fellow country...