Celebrity Fighters to Throw Down and Pull No Punches with Troops on USO Tour to Persian Gulf
Oct 29 2008
Mixed martial arts fighters Hermes Franca, Tom Jones, Tony Schiena, and Kevin Randleman will soon mix things up in the Persian Gulf and treat troops to a special visit as part of a week-long USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour. On a mission to deliver the comforts of home to servicemembers stationed overseas, the group will demonstrate fighting techniques, share their experiences in the ring, and extend their heartfelt gratitude to those currently at war. Nationally recognized sports announcer/promoter Scott Casber of HD-Net’s “Inside MMA” will serve as tour emcee.
Designed to bring entertainment directly to the front lines and boost troop morale, the group will helo to several remote forward operating bases and stage nearly a dozen meet & greets. In a show of their support and commitment to America’s armed forces, the group will also teach a training clinic and judge MMA combative tournaments between competing US troops.
“Words cannot express just how fortunate we feel to travel on this USO tour to the Persian Gulf,” says Casber, host of Inside MMA. “We look forward to telling our Armed Forces that America not only cares about their well-being and stands behind them, but also hasn’t forgotten them.”
This trip continues the USO tradition of bringing professional athletes and sports-related events to troops serving far from home. Whether signing autographs, teaching clinics, posing for photos or coaching tournaments, USO celebrity volunteers help service members and their families feel a little closer to home. Athletes who recently participated in USO tours include Andrei Arlovski, Jeff Bzdelik, Ed Conroy, Jim Crews, Dave Leitao, Jeff Nix, Gary Stewart, Fran Fraschilla, Brian Gregory, Jeff Jones, Dree Brees, and Osi Umenyiora.
For a list of recent and upcoming USO tours, visit http://www.uso.org/whatwedo/entertainment/. To find out how to support the troops, visit www.uso.org.
