Tag Archives: sports

Way To Go, TEAM USO!

Posted on November 3, 2010 by | Leave a comment

A TEAM USO member at the starting line. (USO photo by Neshan Naltchayan)

We would like to applaud all members of TEAM USO who participated in the Marine Corps Marathon and 10k yesterday.  It truly was an amazing day and your support of our troops and their families is to be commended.  Altogether the team raised over $34,000, with 36 runners participating.

We’d also like to send a big thank you to all who came out to support the runners.  We know they wouldn’t have made it through 6.2 or 26.2 miles without family and friends cheering them on.  And we’re already looking forward to doing it all over again next year!

Check out more photos from the day on TEAM USO’s Facebook page. If you are interested in joining TEAM USO and running the Marine Corps Marathon in 2011 please email athleteinfo@uso.org.  TEAM USO registration for the marathon and 10K will open in early 2011 and we are always looking for new teammates.  Hope to see you out there!

The first group of TEAM USO runners pose for a group photo before heading to the start line. (USO photo by Neshan Naltchayan)

The second group of TEAM USO runners pose for a group photo before heading to the start line. (USO photo by Neshan Naltchayan)

Team Captain Tracey Holtshirley looks strong as he heads out with 26.2 miles ahead. (USO photo by Neshan Naltchayan)

TEAM USO member Nikki Etxegoien proudly wears her marathon medal, surrounded by the supporters who cheered her along the route! (USO photo by Neshan Naltchayan)

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Posted in Donations, Support

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Introducing the Military Bowl!

Posted on October 27, 2010 by | Leave a comment

It’s official: Washington, D.C.’s college football bowl game – formerly known as the Eagle Bank Game – has been renamed “The Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman,” and the charitable beneficiary is the USO!

The Bowl is in its third year and will be played Dec. 29, 2010 at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. This season, the game is scheduled to feature an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) team vs. a Conference USA opponent. The D.C. Bowl Committee and the Washington Convention and Sports Authority (WCSA) made the announcement yesterday at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center during the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) annual meeting.

“Since its inception, the mission of our Bowl Committee team is to support the efforts of our servicemen and servicewomen defending our country both at home and abroad, and to enhance our wonderful Washington, D.C. communities,” said bowl chairman Jeffrey S. Fried.

“The new Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman benefitting the USO, will support the excellent work of that organization, which does so much for our brave men and women in uniform, and their families,” said Wes Bush, CEO and president, Northrop Grumman Corporation.

Check out the video below from Military.com, featuring interviews with DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, Sports Anchor James Brown, and more.  The game will be broadcast live on ESPN at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 202-785-BOWL.  We’ll see YOU at the game!

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Posted in Support, Troops

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No Dodging a Good Time with USO Basrah

Posted on October 21, 2010 by | 1 Comment

Who's up for a game of dodgeball? (Photo by USO Basrah)

Basrah, Iraq –  Tonight was filled with fast feet, flying balls, and high stakes competition as USO Basrah teamed up with the 2515th Naval Air Ambulance Detachment to bring an exciting spin to typical base intramural sports.

Depending on your elementary school experience, ‘dodge ball’ either brings up fond memories or brings you back to getting pegged in the head in 6th grade.  Either way, putting those same foam balls in the hands of soldiers puts a new ‘spin’ on things, and this week’s event proved dodge ball is far from child’s play.

Over the course of the night, 16 teams raced their way to the middle line, snatched what they could, and gave their best throw, and when the dust settled….everyone enjoyed some barbeque. With such a large turn out, this tournament is the start of something good, a first installment of a base-wide favorite.

Below are some highlights of the night. For more pictures be sure to search for us on Facebook at “USO Basrah.”

One team player surveys his options before letting 'em fly... (Photo by USO Basrah)

"If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball." (Photo by USO Basrah)

It's only a game...or is it? (Photo by USO Basrah)

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Posted in Centers, Southwest Asia

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Pentagon Announces Second Warrior Games

Posted on September 21, 2010 by | 3 Comments

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announces the second annual Warrior Games to be held in Colorado Springs, Colo., in May 2011. Mullen addressed the media at the Pentagon on Sept. 20, 2010. (DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley)

The Pentagon announced yesterday that the second annual Warrior Games are scheduled to be held May 16 through May 21, 2011, at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Again hosted by the U.S. Olympic Committee, the games will include shooting, swimming, archery, track and field, cycling, sitting volleyball, and wheelchair basketball.

“When the focus is on ability rather than disability, we see that physical fitness and sports can have a healing affect on the mind, body and soul,” Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said Monday at the Pentagon.  You can read Adm. Mullen full statement on the games at DoD Live.

From a pool of more than 9,000 active-duty soldiers recovering in Warrior Transition Units, the Army will choose 100 competitors to represent it in the games. The Marine Corps will send 50 competitors and the Air Force will send 25. The Coast Guard and Navy will combine to send 25 rounding out the 200-competitor roster.

Click through to read the full American Forces Press Service story. And read about last year’s games from On Patrol Magazine and the On the Frontlines blog.

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Posted in Support, US

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Free Better Than Ezra Concert on Military Appreciation Day

Posted on September 18, 2010 by | Leave a comment

Better Than Ezra (Photo courtesy of Facebook)

Officials from the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship and the USO of Metropolitan Washington recently announced that New Orleans rock band Better Than Ezra will help the tournament honor area military with a special musical appearance on Saturday, October 9, during Military Appreciation Day at the Champions Tour’s final major of the season.

The Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship is scheduled for Oct 5-10, 2010, at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Potomac, MD.  As previously announced, complimentary admission to the championship is being offered to all fans for the entire week and includes the Better Than Ezra performance at the Birdies for the Brave Military Appreciation Concert presented by the USO of Metropolitan Washington.

Better Than Ezra, best known for their chart-topping hits “Good” and “Desperately Wanting,” will perform at a ceremony during Military Appreciation Day to salute military families.  The program, scheduled to begin at approximately 3 p.m. after play concludes, will take place on the stage adjacent to the 18th fairway and will include a color guard, national anthem singer, and military leadership.  Better Than Ezra will close the program with a special musical performance dedicated to the military and their families.

“We are delighted to, in conjunction with the PGA TOUR, have Better Than Ezra perform for both military families and golf fans at this year’s Championship,” said Elaine Rogers, President of the USO of Metropolitan Washington.  “We look forward to hosting them at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm on October 9.”

For the third straight year, the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship will offer hospitality to active, reserve and retired military and their dependents at the Birdies for the Brave Patriots’ Outpost made possible through the generous efforts Booz Allen Hamilton, located overlooking the 18th fairway.  The Birdies for the Brave Patriots’ Outpost provides complimentary food provided by Chick-fil-A, beverages and interactive activities.

For more information, please visit USO of Metropolitan Washington!

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Posted in Celebrity Entertainment, Families, Support, Troops, US

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New York Jets Pay Tribute to Our Troops

Posted on September 16, 2010 by | Leave a comment

The American flag is unfurled over the field during the National Anthem. (Photo by Brian Anthony Price)

By Brian Anthony Price

The New York Jets kicked off Monday Night Football with a tough 10-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. However, the team scored big with our servicemen and women.

Prior to the game, over 200 troops from all four branches unfurled a massive American flag over the new football field.

It was a proud moment for Jets owner, Woody Johnson: “We’ve got a B-52 bomber flying over the stadium during the National Anthem. We’re extending a flag over the entire field. We’ve invited hundreds of soldiers to be in attendance at the game. We want everybody to know how much we love and support our soldiers.”

Johnson showed his personal support by spending time with the evening’s honorees. DCCS Frank Ferrantelli of the USS New York was among them. “I’m honored to be here as this is my first ever live Jets game. To be welcomed personally by the owner? That’s something I’ll never forget.” Ferrantelli hails from Staten Island and describes himself as life-long, die-hard Jet fan.

Jets owner Woody Johnson with DCCS Ferrantelli. (Photo by Brian Anthony Price)

The feeling is mutual. “Having just honored the anniversary of 9/11 we wanted to do something special,” said  Fullback Tony Richardson, whose father served in Viet Nam and sister is on active duty. “The pre-game ceremony was very emotional and touched a lot of players’ hearts. Honoring our troops puts things in perspective and helps us to appreciate everything we have as Americans.”

Fellow fullback and rookie sensation John “The Terminator” Connor added: “Being part of such a patriotic celebration was a dream come true. I dreamed of growing up and having a chance to honor people who have served. It was a very special moment for me to also honor the fallen of 9/11 as a player in New York.“

The Jets will be saluting the military throughout the season under Johnson’s direction: “We’re at war and everything we do is about our warriors in combat. Our identity, not as athletes, not as Jets, not as people in the NFL, but as Americans, is (reflected in) our troops. We are who we are because our liberties are protected by men and women fighting for us all over the world.”

Special thanks to Robert Mastroddi, Bruce Speight and the entire Jets organization and front office.

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