| ARLINGTON, Va. – Operation Hardwood IV will tip off at a military base in Kuwait on May 22. Teams of service members will be led by top NCAA basketball coaches and sports personalities during the tournament, taking place during the six-day visit for the coaches. The tour is sponsored by the USO and Armed Forces Entertainment (AFE). Equipment and uniforms for this tour are being provided by NIKE.
The tour participants are:
- Mike Brey, University of Notre Dame
- Ed Conroy, The Citadel
- Jim Crews, United States Military Academy (West Point)
- Dennis Felton, University of Georgia
- Fran Fraschilla, ESPN analyst and former St. John’s head coach
- Mike Lonergan, University of Vermont
- Reggie Minton of the National Association of Basketball Coaches
- Skip Prosser, Wake Forest University
Operation Hardwood tours have visited bases in Kuwait and Japan over the past two years, bringing great coaches and service members together in a fun, competitive environment. It continues the USO and AFE tradition of bringing professional athletes and sports-related events to troops serving far from home. Last year, the USO – as part of its Operation Links tour – brought professional golfers to bases in Kuwait and Iraq to visit troops during Thanksgiving.
AT&T, Inc. is the official telecommunications sponsor of USO entertainment tours.
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About the USO: For more than 66 years, the USO (United Service Organizations) has been providing morale, welfare and recreational services to U.S. military personnel and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services. The USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE Systems North America, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, DRS Technologies, Inc., Military Channel, S & K Sales Co., TriWest Healthcare Alliance and The Walt Disney Company. Other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381), have joined thousands of individual donors to support the USO. For more information on the USO, please visit our Web site at www.uso.org.
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.
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