As our nation celebrates independence during the month of July, the Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders will be celebrating our troops. The cheerleaders will be touring the Mediterranean from July 15-30 in Azores Islands, Egypt, Turkey and Italy.

These cheerleading professionals have performed at military bases around the world including Egypt, Bosnia, Kuwait, Iraq, Greenland, Mexico and Canada. Their show consists of various choreographed routines and games involving crowd participation, with an overall result of pumping up the American spirit.

“Having the Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders perform for our troops is always a treat,” said Joseph Mennit, Armed Forces Entertainment regional coordinator for the Mediterranean circuit. “This group is a dynamic bunch that gets the crowd involved and on their feet. The cheerleading squad does an excellent job of demonstrating their American spirit, by sounding off for the men and women who are serving our country overseas.”

Recently, the Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders performed for their largest audience at a National Football League game in Mexico City where there were more than 103,000 fans in attendance.

Eager to show their appreciation to the troops, ten of the 11 girls on the show team have family members who have been and/or are currently serving in the military. No matter the size of their audience, these cheerleaders are dedicated to showing off their pride for the U.S.

“ There is nothing more satisfying to the team than to meet the people who fight and serve for our country,” said Heather Shrake, director of the Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders. “We feel that our work with Armed Forces Entertainment is very meaningful for the troops and the countries we visit.

On our last tour we were able to distribute gifts to the children in the area, really bringing to light the ultimate purpose of our military’s involvement, to make a safer world for everyone.”

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Armed Forces Entertainment is the lead Department of Defense agency for providing entertainment to U.S. military personnel serving overseas, with priority given to those in contingency operations and at remote and isolated locations. The Department of the Air Force is the executive agent of Armed Forces Entertainment.

Founded in 1951, Armed Forces Entertainment brings a touch of home to more than 500,000 troops annually, embracing the best of Americana that stretches across all genres of entertainment. Visit www.armedforcesentertainment.com for more information.

Country	City	Location	Date	Time
Azores Islands	Lajes		July 17, 2006
Egypt	North Camp		July 20, 2006
Egypt	South Camp		July 22, 2006
Turkey	Adana		July 25, 2006
Turkey	Izmir		July 26, 2006
Italy	Ghedi		July 28, 2006
Italy	Seville		July 29, 2006