| Former Auburn University Football Head Coach Tommy Tuberville takes the helm of the second annual Armed Forces Entertainment “Coaches Tour,” leading six active NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) coaches to visit troops stationed at US military installations in Germany, Turkey, Spain, Iraq and Djbouti, May 27- June 4.
“The troops serving our country deserve all the respect in the world,” said Tuberville. “And if our presence gives them a sense of appreciation, we’ve made our touchdown.”
The six active NCAA FBS coaches touring with Tuberville include the 2008 Coach of the Year Mack Brown (The University of Texas at Austin), Jim Tressel (Ohio State University), Troy Calhoun (Air Force Academy), Jim Grobe (Wake Forest University), Rick Neuheisel (University of California, Los Angeles) and Houston Nutt (The University of Mississippi).
“Last year’s tour was a tremendous success. When we returned, we learned that there were more NCAA football coaches who wanted to show their appreciation for our troops, and so the second “Coaches Tour” was born. It’s an honor and a privilege for Armed Forces Entertainment to host these stellar coaches,” said Air Force Colonel Edward Shock, chief of Armed Forces Entertainment. “Last year I witnessed first-hand the sheer excitement and gratitude from our military members who got to meet, shake hands, dine and be coached in a flag football game by their football heroes. There’s not many people who get to say they’ve done that.”
The tour will launch from McConnell Air Force Base near Wichita, Kansas, the home of the 22nd Aerial Refueling Wing. The majority of the air transportation will be handled by a KC-135R, four-engine transcontinental aircraft.
Troops can expect personal interaction with the coaches, as well as formal college football symposiums where troops have an open mic to ask questions of their favorite football heroes. At some locations the coaches will host flag football games for the military members.
Sprint has supplied 20 Blackberry 8830 mobile telephones to be used during the coaches’ meet and greet events for troops to use at the event to call home to their family and friends free of charge.
“The United States servicemen and women put their lives on the line every day to ensure our freedom here at home,” said Ralph Reid, Sprint’s vice president of corporate social responsibility. “In association with some of the nation’s top college football coaches, Sprint will provide our nation’s heroes an opportunity to connect with family and friends using Sprint’s wireless service from remote locations in the Middle East. We hope to bring a friendly voice and a piece of home to them as they protect our nation’s freedom.”
For the second year in a row, Under Armour will provide performance apparel for the troops as part of the Armed Forces Entertainment “Coaches Tour.”
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Morale Entertainment is organizing the tour in association with Armed Forces Entertainment.
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.
About Under Armour
Under Armour® (NYSE: UA) is a leading developer, marketer, and distributor of branded performance apparel, footwear, and accessories. The brand's moisture-wicking synthetic fabrications are engineered in many different designs and styles for wear in nearly every climate to provide a performance alternative to traditional natural fiber products. The Company's products are sold worldwide and worn by athletes at all levels, from youth to professional, on playing fields around the globe. The Under Armour global headquarters is in Baltimore, Maryland, with European headquarters in Amsterdam’s Olympic Stadium, and additional offices in Denver, Hong Kong, Toronto, and Guangzhou, China. For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.underarmour.com.
About Sprint
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving more than 49 million customers at the end of the first quarter of 2009; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international walkie-talkie capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.
To learn more about The Coaches Tour, visit http://www.coachestour2009.com/.
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