| OVER AFGHANISTAN (11/6/2009 - AFNS) The quarterback was
crouched in his uniform, scanning the field from under his
helmet for his intended receivers. But this was no stadium;
it was a C-17 Globemaster III flying over the harsh and
dangerous terrain that is Afghanistan. And there was no
football, but rather 18 much-needed bundles of food, water
and supplies for troops at a forward operating base. The
quarterback, in this case a loadmaster, found his targets.
Touchdown! |
Former Pittsburgh Steelers QB Terry Bradshaw would be proud, and he was. He was
there watching the pass and reception on board the C-17.
Mr. Bradshaw and the rest of the team from "Fox NFL Sunday" is touring
installations throughout Southwest Asia as part of an event with Armed Forces
Entertainment. During the visit, they'll meet with deployed troops and sign
autographs. The trip concludes with a two-hour broadcast of "Fox NFL Sunday"
from Afghanistan Nov. 8.
Visiting the Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines are:
- Mr. Bradshaw, the Steelers quarterback from 1970 to 1983
- Jimmy Johnson, the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins coach from 1989 to
1999
- Howie Long, the Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Raiders defensive end
from 1981 to 1993
- Michael Strahan, the New York Giants defensive end from 1993 to 2007
- Curt Menefee, a sportscaster
- Jay Glazer, a sportswriter
To get to Afghanistan, the NFL legends tagged along on an airdrop mission.
For the aircrew, it was the chance of a lifetime to meet several NFL legends,
but also an opportunity to showcase the efforts of the Air Force supporting the
joint fight.
"Terry Bradshaw is a hero of mine and to be able to show him what the Air Force
does is really awesome," said Staff Sgt. Matthew Gaffney, an instructor
loadmaster with the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. "It's great to show
them how we can take pretty much anything and drop it wherever we want."
Seeing the mission up close and personal brought a new sense of appreciation for
today's military, something every American should be reminded of, Mr. Long said.
"When you're on a trip like this, you truly get to see how remarkable this
generation of Americans is," he said.
Toward the end of the mission, the aircrew presented an American flag, along
with a certificate, to the football legends to thank them for visiting the
Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines.
In December 2000, "Fox NFL Sunday" broadcast two shows from the flight deck of
the USS Harry S. Truman, during a patrol in the Mediterranean Sea. Armed Forces
Entertainment is the lead Department of Defense agency for bringing
entertainment to servicemembers overseas. |
