Insomniacs invade Manas Published Sept. 16, 2005 By Master Sgt. Lisa Polarek 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFPN) -- They came fired up and ready to entertain the troops, and that is exactly what comedians Dave Attell and Scott Kennedy did here Sept. 14.The two stand-up comedians have been touring U.S. Central Command hot spots entertaining everyone from Florida Army National Guardsmen at a forward-deployed location to Airmen and Soldiers at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.No matter where they went, Mr. Attell and Mr. Kennedy said they enjoy the time they spend with the military.“I love coming down and talking to the guys and ladies, just showing our support,” Mr. Attell said.The two showed their support to about 800 people here with a show more than an hour long and then stayed afterward to talk and sign autographs. They also did another show the next morning for the nightshift workers.“It’s weird getting up at six in the morning and seeing guys drinking beer and playing bingo,” Mr. Attell said. “Tip of the hat to the wing commander. It’s cool to have a beer or two after work.”Staff Sgt. Mark Johnson, a 376th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, said he had seen Mr. Attell’s show on television, and after seeing him in person he thought it was even better.“(Shows like this) give everyone a chance to get out and have fun,” Sergeant Johnson said.While Mr. Kennedy has toured the CENTCOM area for a few years, this was a first for Mr. Attell.Mr. Attell had entertained troops in Germany and said it was a great experience, but his busy schedule had kept him from touring the area with Mr. Kennedy until now.For Mr. Kennedy, the tours struck a personal chord.“I don’t consider it a hardship (to tour Southwest Asia),” he said. “I have two nephews who are in the Marine Corps. They’ve served in Iraq and Afghanistan and to me, the hardship is on (the troops).”While both were pleased with the tour, they were disappointed they were not able to visit more of the forward-deployed locations.The comedians are returning home but have plans to join a United Services Organization tour soon.“As long as there are troops there, I’ll go. I don’t care where it is,” Mr. Kennedy said.