Entertainment Tour Spotlight |
|
Saving Abel Participates in USO Tour to Persian Gulf and Broadcast Camp Arifjan Concert On Ustream Thursday, March 4!!
On February 20, 2010, Saving Abel teamed up with the USO and embarked on an eight-day, three-country USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour to the Persian Gulf. Trekking in and out of Kuwait, Iraq and other locations in the combat zone, the band visited multiple military posts and lifted the spirits of thousands of U.S. troops.
Live video chat by Ustream
Just three days into the tour, the band worked with Ustream and had their USO concert at Camp Arifjan captured on film - giving soldiers who were unable to attend the show, as well as troops stationed around the globe, an opportunity to view the show online. Attended by 1,750 service men and women, the USO concert will be broadcast on Thursday, March 4, 2010, at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST on Ustream. Visit Saving Abel USO Concert on Ustream for your chance to watch the concert alongside fellow fans and chat "live" on Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites, or simply watch the recording above.
Throughout the trip, the band performed numerous concerts for troops, signed autographs, posed for photos and, most importantly, spent quality time with soldiers. Saving Abel also hand-delivered cards and artwork designed by students at St. Albert Great School in Louisville, KY. Among some of the installations visited were Al Udeid Air Base, Camp Arifjan, Camp Sykes and Camp Speicher.
Rock band Saving Abel poses for a group photo alongside the 1-43/3-43 Air Defense Artillery Battalion stationed at Al Udeid Air Base on Feb. 22, 2010. Participating in their first USO tour, Saving Abel are strong supporters of those in uniform and, in 2008, the band paid homage to military families stationed abroad by filming their hit song “18 Days” on the USS Hornet.
USO photo by Mike Clifton
Want more? Check out news articles and video footage highlighting the tour.
Attell, Bollettieri, Cyrus and Kournikova Join Forces and Extend Thanks on Annual USO Holiday Tour Led by Admiral Mike Mullen
Celebrities from the annual USO holiday tour led by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen pose for a group shot . (L-R) multi-platinum recording artist Billy Ray Cyrus, tennis player Anna Kournkiova, world-renown tennis coach Nick Bollettieri and comedian Dave Attell.
USO Photo by Dave Gatley
Four of today’s most recognizable figures in comedy, tennis and music convene in the name of troops as part of the annual USO holiday tour led by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen. Centered around saluting America’s armed forces, the group will visit three countries in seven days, sign autographs and talk with troops. Accompanying Admiral Mullen as his special guests are comedian Dave Attell, world-renown tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, multi-platinum recording artist Billy Ray Cyrus and tennis player Anna Kournikova. To view the USO 2009 Chairman's Holiday tour photo gallery click here
Tour Blogs
Part of an annual tradition of partnering with senior leaders and working with celebrity entertainers to bring a touch of home to troops stationed abroad, the USO has worked with the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since 2000. Since then, the USO has partnered with four Chiefs of Staff and deployed more than 10 entertainment tours. This trip will mark the first USO tour for Bollettieri and Cyrus, the third for Kournikova, the fifth for Attell and the sixth for Admiral Mullen.
USO Photo by Dave Gatley
Want more? Check out news articles, video footage and additional blog posts highlighting the tour.
National Cartoonist Society Draws Smiles on Week-Long USO Tour to Germany and Persian Gulf
(Back row from L to R) Cartoonist Jeff Bacon, Stephan Pastis, Mike Peters, Michael Ramirez, Garry Trudeau, (front from L to R) Chip Bok, Rick Kirkman, Jeff Keane, Bruce Higdon, and Tom Richmond pose for a group photo during a USO tour to Germany, Kuwait and Iraq, on Oct. 19, 2009.
USO photo by Jackie Zettles
From October 14 to 23, 2009, ten of the world’s most recognized cartoonists and caricaturists participated in a week-long USO tour to Germany, Kuwait and Iraq. As part of their overseas adventure, the group spent quality time with wounded troops at the USO Warrior Center at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center as well as nine military installations in the combat zone. In total, more than 1,600 service men and women were touched by the tour.
Among those bases visited were Camp Buehring, Camp Virginia, Camp Ali Al Salem/LSA, Q West, FOB Marez, FOB Warrior, FOB Sykes, Camp Victory and Camp Liberty. Tour participants included, Jeff Bacon (Broadside/Greenside); Chip Bok (Creators Syndicate); Bruce Higdon (Army Times, Army Magazine, Soldiers Magazine, and Stars and Stripes); Jeff Keane (The Family Circus); Rick Kirkman (Baby Blues); Stephan Pastis (Pearls Before Swine); Mike Peters (Mother Goose and Grimm); Michael Ramirez (Creators Syndicate); Tom Richmond (MAD Magazine); and Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury).
Tour Highlights (Written by Tom Richmond)
USO Photo by Jackie Zettles
The National Cartoonist Society traces its association with the USO to World War II, when professional cartoonists made repeated trips overseas to entertain troops. Whether visiting military hospitals, entertaining troops with chalk talks, or sharing words of encouragement, approximately one hundred professional cartoonists and caricaturists have participated in military-related trips. In 2008, the USO sponsored eight cartoonists to travel to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, National Naval Medical Center and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. A similar trip was organized earlier this year.
Want more? Check out news articles, video footage and additional blog posts highlighting the tour.