NFL players kick off USO tour in Kyrgyzstan

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Adriane Craig
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFPN) --  Three National Football League stars and a senior sports writer visited Manas Air Base Airmen as part of a United Service Organizations tour March 4 here.

San Diego Chargers Luis Castillo, Chicago Bears Tommie Harris, Carolina Panthers Mike Rucker and Sports Illustrated writer Peter King arrived in Kyrgyzstan to show their support as they visit servicemembers throughout the region.

Manas AB is home to the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, which serves as a mobility hub for Operation Enduring Freedom and International Security Assistance Force missions. Strategically situated as the only U.S. base with a northern approach into Afghanistan, wing members fly aerial refueling missions to support the network of airpower over Afghanistan and move people and cargo, enabling air and ground operations for U.S. and coalition forces.

The visitors saw that mission firsthand as they made their way around the small base, and eventually got to climb into a Humvee and explore the KC-135 Stratotanker and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft that fly out of the base.

"We're getting a lot out of this also, in just being able to see what you guys do every day," Mr. Harris said. 

For Mr. Rucker, it was all about the people. 

"What I'm intrigued with is how -- from top to bottom -- how well organized you guys are," Mr. Rucker said. "It's a working machine."

The Carolina defensive lineman also instantly recognized the camaraderie of the folks far from home. 

"Now you guys are family members among yourselves," he said.

Mr. King led a question and answer period for the players in the recreation facility at Manas AB. Airmen stationed at the base and Soldiers transiting the base asked questions ranging from childhood heroes, pregame rituals to the future of the game. 

The celebrities then hung around for several hours, signing autographs, talking or -- in the case of Mr. Harris -- playing dominoes and singing karaoke.

The trip was "unbelievable," Mr. Castillo said. "The thing we really take away from this is the people. For you to come out all this way to defend us and our freedom and allow us to play the game that we love to play."

It's an irony not lost on the Chargers defensive end.

"It's funny because a lot of the slogans we use when we play are from you 'we're going to war' and all that," he said. "You guys are doing it for real. We just want to say thank you to all of you."

Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link)

View the comments/letters page