NFL Stars visit troops in Iraq just in time for Super Bowl

Photo By Spc. Cal Turner | Serrita Teer (left) and Candy Burke, cheerleaders with the Oakland Raiderettes, pose with a Soldier from 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment at Forward Operating Base Brassfield-Mora on Feb. 3, as part of the Super Sunday Tour.  

SAMARRA, IRAQ

02.13.2007

Story by Sgt. Amanda White 

5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment   

By Spc. Amanda Morrissey
5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

SAMARRA, Iraq – Three former players and two cheerleaders from the National Football League shook up what started out as a typical lunch time break for Soldiers stationed at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Brassfield-Mora.

Kevin Greene, Greg Biekert, and Lamar Lathon, all retired NFL players, accompanied by Candy Burke and Serrita Teer, both cheerleaders with the Raiderettes, spent two hours signing autographs, posing for pictures and talking with Soldiers as part of the Super Sunday Tour, in support of U.S. service members serving in Iraq.

"I know who the real warriors and the real heroes are, and it's those who are here," said Greene, a former captain in the Army Reserves. "I wouldn't miss this opportunity to show my appreciation and love for the men and women serving our country.

"This means everything to me," Greene continued. "Everything."

"We want to show our support for the troops over here," said Jody Pucello, a tour director with Pro Sports MVP, the company that arranged for the NFL players and cheerleaders to visit Iraq. "We bring people who want to come here because the troops mean something to them, and not because they're trying to promote their careers."

Special guests had been scheduled to visit FOB Brassfield-Mora twice before, but were unable to make it. This is the first visit of its kind for Soldiers stationed there, who patiently waited in line for their chance to meet with the football players and cheerleaders.

"I thought it was fun," said Spc. Shawn Johnstone, a nuclear, biological and chemical specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. "It was cool to see some football legends."

The group had been awake for about 46 hours by the time they reached FOB Brassfield-Mora due to flight delays. However, the lack of sleep did not deter them from meeting with Soldiers, said Sgt. 1st Class Charles Covey, the Moral, Welfare and Recreation program manager for MND-North.

Covey serves as the military liaison for celebrity tours in MND-North, arranging itineraries, flights and accommodations for visiting talent.

"They all acted just like Soldiers, carrying on with the mission despite everything," Covey said. "They treat all the Soldiers, from privates to officers, with dignity and respect. I couldn't ask for a better group of people."

• Date Taken: 02.13.2007
• Date Posted: 02.13.2007 12:38
• Story ID: 9124
• Location: SAMARRA, IQ