Monthly Archives: August 2011

Coaches Touch Down Overseas to Lift the Spirits of Deployed Troops

Posted on August 5, 2011 by | 1 Comment

U.S. Coast Guardsmen LTJG Andy Daum of Wayzata, Minnesota, (left) and LT. Glenn Goetchius, Ledyard of Connecticut, both currently serving in Kuwait, pose with NFL coaches (left to right) Jim L. Mora, former NFL head coach turned NFL Network analyst; Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt; Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak; and former New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim E. Mora on Friday, July 1, 2011. This is the first USO tour for the group, who join the list of NFL coaches to travel overseas on USO entertainment tours. (USO Photo by Steve Manuel)

Whether you’re a diehard NFL football fanatic or just a casual fan, you’ve probably seen Jim E. Mora’s famous November 2001 post-game speech, whether on television commercials or SportsCenter.  The longtime NFL coach’s incredulous reaction to a reporter’s question about his team’s chances to make the playoffs, which came after a crushing defeat, is a permanent part of football folk lore that to this day, still elicits smiles and laughs.

When Mora recently got the chance to accompany fellow NFL coaches on a USO tour to visit troops deployed overseas, his reaction was decidedly different.  While millions of Americans identify Mora with his oft-quoted post-game rant, few may realize that before making his mark as the coach of the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts, he was an officer in the United States Marine Corps.

“In January, I called the NFL and asked if they had any tours going to Iraq or Afghanistan,” Mora told Pvt. Andrew Slovensky in Basra, Iraq.  “I’ve always had an interest in it.”

In addition to highlighting the illustrious 45-year partnership between the NFL and USO, the trip was also special to Mora because of who went with him.  In addition to Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt and Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak, he was joined by his son, former Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons head coach Jim L. Mora.

“I’m excited to have the honor of spending time with our troops in the Middle East,” the younger Mora said in a statement.  “Their selfless service to our country should be an inspiration to all Americans.”

Due to numerous flight delays, the four coaches arrived in Kuwait later than they had hoped on July 2, but still made the most of their time in the Middle East.  They visited several significant spots in Iraq, including Baghdad’s Al-Faw Palace and Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit, where the Iraqi dictator was captured by U.S. troops in 2003.

For Whisenhunt, who is currently leading his Cardinals team in training camp, the trip was full of surprises.  He wrote about the experience on the team’s official website.

“It went by quickly. We were busy. We were on a C-130 airplane again (on July 4), we were on Blackhawk helicopter three different trips, taking trucks and vans to all different bases. The hectic pace, I didn’t expect. The emotional connection to the troops and seeing how excited they were to see somebody from home, that was something I didn’t expect. The human element, even though you think you know what it will be, once you see the conditions they live in but the enthusiasm they have for their job, that’s what hits you where you aren’t expecting it.”

Kubiak agreed with his coaching counterpart, saying he wants to go back.

“When given the opportunity, I couldn’t wait to come,” Kubiak told Pvt. Slovensky.  “I hope to do it again one day.”

Using technology from iPads to cell phones, U.S. troops serving in Iraq take photographs of Houston Texans Gary Kubiak; former NFL head coach turned NFL Network analyst Jim L. Mora; former New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim L. Mora, and Ken Whisenhunt Arizona Cardinals head coach on Saturday July 2, 2011. This is the first USO tour for the group, who join the list of NFL coaches to travel overseas on USO entertainment tours. (USO Photo by Steve Manuel)

Fittingly, the tour wrapped up on the Fourth of July in southern Iraq, where the U.S. military is set to complete a withdrawal of all forces later this year.  The coaches split pieces of a huge cake with the troops, talked football, and put smiles on the faces of men and women serving apart from their families.

For the elder Jim Mora, seeing the sacrifices made by our troops on a daily basis, especially alongside his son, was an unforgettable experience that he will always cherish.

“You’re in a combat zone here, and you know it by what’s going on around you,” Mora told the NFL Network by phone from Iraq as his trip concluded on July 4.

Almost a decade after his famous speech, Jim E. Mora has achieved something far more memorable than another trip to the playoffs: lifting the spirits of our men and women in uniform.  And according to his son, he found the perfect way to do it.

“They ask my dad to do the ‘Playoffs?!’’ thing,” Jim L. Mora said.  “I’ve heard him spew it out a couple times, and they laugh like heck, too.” -  Tom Sileo, USO Director of Story Development

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Posted in Celebrity Entertainment, Southwest Asia

UFC Superstar Tito Ortiz Packs a Punch with the Troops

Posted on August 2, 2011 by | 3 Comments

When I asked Ultimate Fighting Championship superstar Tito Ortiz what prompted him to spend the last week training wounded warriors at his Huntington Beach, Calif., gym, he didn’t hesitate.

“It really came down to the first time I went to Iraq when I saw all the young people serving over there,” Ortiz told the USO, which he’s joined for four USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tours since 2007. “Then I saw some of them coming home at Bethesda and Walter Reed.”

While Ortiz made a name for himself as a tough guy, getting a first-hand glimpse at the harsh realities of war, both overseas and on the home front, packed an emotional punch.

“Many had been hit with IEDs, but they still wanted to get back out there, man,” Ortiz said. “It’s amazing to see the sense of family and brotherhood.”

From July 25-29, which was nicknamed “hell week,” ten wounded troops and veterans spent the day with the mixed martial arts idol inside the “Punishment Training Center,” which by all accounts, is aptly named.

 

Tito Ortiz poses with some service members (photo courtesy of Pros vs GI Joes)

“I really want to get them in great, great shape, even though they are already in good shape,” Ortiz said by phone from his gym. “I’m trying to push them and they’re taking it all in stride.”

In partnership with the USO and sponsored by Armed Forces Insurance, “Rehabbing with the Troops” is a program of Pro vs. GI Joe, a non-profit organization that connects American troops all over the world with their favorite pro athletes and celebrities through video game competitions and webcams.

Physical training is just one aspect of this unique program to aid in the recovery of wounded warriors. In this 4th annual All Star” season of “Rehabbing with the Troops,” greater emphasis has been placed on challenging wounded warriors to become active members of a growing community of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

After “hell week,” wounded warriors are required to complete five weeks of at-home assignments, which in addition to continued workouts, are centered on creating online videos, writing blog posts, and recruiting fellow veterans to participate. The response from all ten wounded warriors has been enthusiastic, and to Ortiz, overwhelming.

“I feel like I got mixed into a great family,” he said.

While following @TitoOrtiz on Twitter to keep up with “hell week,” I learned that to support this innovative program, Facebook users can play a game called Auction Plums to gain a virtual window into the progress wounded warriors make during the course of the six-week program. There’s even an in-game virtual Tito Ortiz to whip you into shape.

Reflecting on the success of “Rehabbing with the Troops,” the real Tito Ortiz expressed complete admiration for men and women who have volunteered to serve our country, who the former UFC titleholder believes are America’s true champions.

“Hands down, the biggest heroes in the world are our troops, and I stand by them one hundred percent,” he said. “Having the opportunity to train with them is my honor, and really, my glory.” – Tom Sileo, USO Director of Story Development

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Posted in Celebrity Entertainment, US

The USO Works with Billy Ray Cyrus for a “Surprise Homecoming”

Posted on August 1, 2011 by | 3 Comments

Many members of the military community are probably familiar with the TLC show, “Surprise Homecoming,” a new series that unites service members with their unexpecting families after they’ve served overseas. Show host, multi-platinum artist, and USO tour veteran Billy Ray Cyrus says, “Our soldiers and their families have made, and continue to make, a huge sacrifice for our freedom and protecting this great country that we live in. This is my way of saying ‘thank you’.”

Cyrus reached out to the USO of Northwest Florida to help make tonight’s reunion of a mother and her deployed daughter special. Be sure to watch tonight on TLC at 10/9 CT!

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Posted in Celebrity Entertainment, Families