NCAA Coaches Tour 2009

Organized by:

Morale Entertainmentin Association with Armed Forces Entertainment

Coaches Tour 2009 begins at the home base of our KC-135 aerial refueling tanker aircraft - McConnell Air Force Base. All our long-range flights were flown in this tanker.

Donations totaling 12,300 pounds of T-shirts, hats, footballs, posters, books, etc. were sorted and stacked on pallets

Three coaches joined the trip at McConnell AFB. Here, Jim Tressel, Jim Grobe and Troy Calhoun are given a tour of McConnell Air Force Base including a close-up look

at a refueling boom on a tanker aircraft.

Coach Jim Tressel is shown how to operate a robot used where it is too dangerous for troops.

Coach Troy Calhoun sights a weapon system

The coaches had an opportunity to ride in a full motion flight

simulator of the KC135

Coach Jim Grobe is fitted with full protective gear we will need to wear

while flying into Iraq

Air Force crewmembers working through configuration plans to fit all seats, cargo and

personnel on our mission

Sprint was one of this year’s Coaches Tour sponsors. Sprint

provided 20 international cell phones for troops to make free calls from downrange to their loved ones

in the States.

Capt. Eric Junkins (on right) and Capt. Chris Dieter fly our KC-135 Stratotanker carrying Coaches Tour 2009 participants overseas. Both pilots are assigned to the

Air Refueling Group at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas

Our KC-135 makes a stop at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. Here Coach Grobe is greeted by three star General Vern Findley, Vice Commander, Air Mobility Command.

The four remaining coaches join the tour at Scott AFB. Here four star General Arthur Lichte briefs the entire group of coaches about the global mission of Air Mobility Command. AMC operates

a fleet larger than all of American Airlines and Federal Express combined.

Coaches Rick Neuheisel and Tommy Tuberville listen intently to our mission briefing in General Lichte’s office

The coaches discuss our mission as we launch from Scott AFB

headed for Germany

We land at Ramstein AFB on a beautiful day. Here Ray Caldiero

stretches after our 8 hour flight.

It is “Appreciation Day” at Ramstein AFB. We are invited to join a barbecue with the troops and their families.

School children greet us with music

Smiles all around as troops have their photos taken with their favorite coach

Landstuhl Regional Medical Center

Every day, planes land at Ramstein AFB with severely injured US soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan. In the biggest American military hospital in Europe, lives are saved,

limbs amputated, gunshot wounds patched up and burn victims treated.

Coach Brown had created a special

healing medallion as gifts for the wounded

We were all touched by the thankfulness for our

visit expressed universally by the

wounded troops

Jim Tressel autographs a hat from Ohio State for a grateful soldier

Hospital staff were tickled to have their

team’s coach visit and share stories

School t-shirts were given to all visited patients and staff

Everyone wanted a photo to remember the day

Some die-hard fans make up

their own shirts

Fans await our first question

and answer session

Tommy Tuberville, our only returning coach,

moderates the Q&A session

Then, the autograph and picture taking opportunities begin

School fans can’t wait to express their gratitude on

camera about the opportunity to meet their idols

After a long day, the entire group enjoys a German feast at a local outdoor restaurant

The coaches each had the opportunity to sit with the troops during meals. This gave various school fans a chance to discuss football in great depth. Here Mack Brown enjoys the camaraderie.

Troy Calhoun was given the opportunity to speak to the

troops over breakfast.

We have just landed at Incirlik Air Force Base in Adana, Turkey. At each stop, we are taken on a base tour to understand the unique operations required for their mission.

During our visit in Turkey, we stop by a crew from Michigan repairing a refueling boom off of a KC-135 tanker

There is immediate competition between these Michigan fans and Ohio State’s Coach

Jim Tressel, but always in good fun

The Michigan crew tries to surprise Coach Tressel with a “Challenge Coin” from The University of Michigan

But, he meets their challenge by presenting them with an Ohio State Coin

After a lot of laughs and good cheer, we take a group photo

We had numerous Q&A sessions that gave the troops many opportunities to verbalize those questions they

always wanted to ask their favorite coach.

Then, the autograph and picture taking

opportunities began

The Coaches provided thorough answers to sometimes provocative questions

We traveled to areas of bases where the troops were getting ready for the day’s

duties. Here, Coach Grobe addresses a base security force.

Coach Calhoun personally thanks each member of this

Security detail

After the coaches had a chance to talk with everyone, they were happy to pose for a group picture

After a long day on the base in Incirlik - Turkey, we head out to dinner off base

After an amazing array of salads, a wooden plank is

placed on the table with freshly baked bread on top

Then, the master chef brings to the table a long sword with lamb, chicken and vegetables skewered

on the full length

The sword is extracted while many waiters hold the meats and vegetables in place

Finally individual portions are cut and served on plates. We all enjoy

scrumptious Turkish food!

The following morning, we transfer all personnel and SWAG from our KC-135

to a C-17 with defensive counter measures that will fly us into Iraq

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The Boeing Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. The C-17 was developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 is used for rapid

strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases anywhere in the world. It has the ability to rapidly deploy a combat unit to a potential battle area and sustain it with on-going supplies. The C-17 is also capable of performing tactical airlift, medical evacuation and airdrop missions.

The coaches are getting excited about taking off to visit the troops in Iraq

Traveling with us our entire mission was Colonel Bart Weiss, whose previous

deployment was running air operations at Incirlik AFB. However, he didn't always

want to be a squadron commander. In 1985, he was an Air Force Academy quarterback

who was the first in academy history to rush and pass for more than 1,000 yards in a season (and played with Coach Calhoun).

Sports writers considered him a Heisman Trophy contender. Even the Atlanta

Falcons courted Colonel Weiss during his senior year.

We inspect the cavernous interior of

the C-17

Each Coach got a chance to sit in the C-17 cockpit and peer

through the “Heads Up Display”

Our C-17 is configured, the cargo loaded and our coaches take their

seats for our flight to Iraq.

Coach Nutt is given a weapon indoctrination by

a member of our security detail

Colonel Ed Shock, Head of Armed Forces Entertainment briefs Colonel Weiss and other Military

personnel about our day’s schedule and logistics for our arrival into Balad - Iraq

Our fully loaded C-17 departs Turkey for Iraq

As we cross over Turkish airspace into

Iraq, it is eerily beautiful from 41,000 feet

Once in Iraqi airspace, we are required to suit up in our 41 pound flack jackets and

battle helmets

Jim Tressel gives an interview to our

video crew about what it means to visit our Military

men and women in uniform in Iraq

After landing in Balad, a pallet mover positions itself at the end of the lowered

C-17 cargo ramp.

All seven NCAA Head Football Coaches push tons of SWAG off the

C-17, onto the pallet mover

There will be hundreds of troops excited to receive t-shirts, hats, books and posters being

off-loaded by the Coaches

Our C-17 flight crew wanted a picture memorializing their mission to transport

our Coaches into Iraq

After off-loading the SWAG and removing their body armor, the

Coaches deplane through the aft cargo

ramp onto the base

Col. Sal Nodjomian has an Ohio State shrine in his office. For him, it was like having “Elvis”

walk in when Coach Tressel visited

These helicopters are flying ambulances. The statistics are overwhelming. If an injured

solider arrives at a field hospital with a pulse, there is a 98% probability he will survive.

Our Coaches were asked to sign a memory wall at the hospital in Balad

There were die-hard college football fans in Iraq that came prepared to

show their team spirit

The level of enthusiasm was unbelievable. We did observe that the troops in active war zones had the highest energy levels probably resulting from higher than normal daily stress.

Col Nodjomian was thrilled to be photographed between national champion coaches.

During our Balad Base tour, we were shown confiscated Al-Qaeda weapons

Troy Calhoun wanted to hold some of the enemy weapons

Coach Calhoun holding an autographed Air Force

Academy football with some of his fans

Coach Brown provides instructions to several of the football players about some of the skills

training they would experience

The coaches loved teaching the troops new skills that would improve their flag football games even on these dusty and

rock strewn fields

Each coach worked with smaller groups testing

the new skills the troops were being taught

In a war zone, all active military have weapons at the ready. Wewere trained what to do if there was a mortar attack.

Although there was an intense dust storm, both teams wanted to play flag football. Tommy Tuberville brushed up on local game rules

The teams for this game would be Air Force vs. Army. The coaches divided up with Coach

Calhoun naturally working with the Air Force team.

Strategies are developed.

Each coach had words of inspiration.

Fans posted banners and rooted for their

respective team

Tommy Tuberville would be an active referee on the field and tossed the coin to determine who would kick and receive

Houston Nutt, wearing his famous Ole Miss hat analyzes game plays

The Air Force Captain talks over

the game with Coach Grobe

Mack Brown watches from the sidelines with some of his Army team players

When the game is over, all are pleased to have participated

Under Armour shirts are given to all the players and a team picture is captured

And one with the Under Armour Banner

In addition to 130,000 troops in Iraq there are a similar number of contractors. They were equally thrilled to get an autograph from a favorite coach.

We depart Balad for Baghdad well after midnight on a C-130 transport

Coach Calhoun Promotes New Captains

While waiting to board our C-130, Troy Calhoun, head football coach at the Air Force Academy, promotes Phil Shapiro and Alecia Fogerty to the rank of Captain during a late-night impromptu ceremony on a flightline in Iraq. Both officers are Air Force C-130 Hercules pilots who flew Calhoun and six other NCAA footballcoaches to visit troops in Bagdad.

Our C-130 was totally blacked out for our late night flight over Iraq. Full battle gear is required.

We land in Baghdad, board our bus and drive to our accommodations arriving at 3:00 AM

For two nights in Baghdad, we were fortunate to be housed in one of

Saddam Hussein’s 99 Palaces. This one had not been destroyed

The interior was filled with ornate furniture and marble

everywhere

Jim Grobe contemplates what it would be like to rule a country as he sits on Saddam Hussein’s throne

A Group Shot in the Palace

A message from a reservist:

“I know the troops really appreciate you taking the time to visit them. While being deployed you focus so much on your job that you forget what it means to be home, especially for the troops deployed to combat zones. When tours like yours comes through, it gives everyone an opportunity to take a step back and reflect. Even if the visit only lasts 10 minutes, it gives the folks an opportunity to remember home life. That 10 minutes triggers a lot of memories from home and can last for a few days or even weeks. Once they return home from their deployments, they will soon forget about how bad their conditions were, but will always remember the people they met.

Although it was hot and dry during our tour, it can be wet and muddy for our soldiers to

operate Hummers.

Our security force was

happy to let the coaches

hold their weapons for a

picture

MRAPs (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles) in Iraq cost at least $500,000 each.

The troops were thrilled to show off and describe their MRAP vehicle

capabilities

Coaches Meet Privately with and were Briefed by

Four-Star General OdiernoGeneral Raymond T. Odierno, (born 1954) USA, is the current Commanding General, Multi-National Force—Iraq (MNF-I). He assumed command on September 16, 2008. He previously served as Commanding General, III Corps, from May 2006 to May 2008. As the day-to-day Commander of the MNC-I, he was the operational architect of the Iraq War troop surge of 2007 and is credited with implementing the counterinsurgency strategy that, along with the earlier rise of the Sunni Awakening militia movement, led to the decrease in violence during his tenure in Iraq from late 2006 to early 2008. The Weekly Standard has argued that his employment of forces to quell violence across Iraq "redefined the operational art of counterinsurgency".

Troops can only attend a Q&A or other session if they are not on duty at that time. Numerous meeting opportunities were scheduled to allow smaller groups to have a

chance to talk with and meet their team’s coach.

Many unusual items were presented to the coaches for signatures

Mack Brown was thrilled to see a framed and signed Texas jersey on display in Iraq. He chose

this location for an on-camera interview.

Tommy Tuberville used his late afternoon to practice his golf swing at the Palace

Mack Brown is awed by being in Iraq with our troops as he reflects on the days events

Troy Calhoun was thrilled to fly from Baghdad with these 135 troops heading

home from their deployment in Iraq.

After we landed in Kuwait, David Raih was happy to see our KC-135 waiting

for us to fly our tour onto Djibouti

Mike Whalen and Col Ed Shock discuss logistics while boarding our KC-135 in Kuwait

We flew over Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea to our destination, Djibouti in the

Horn of Africa

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Col Shock took charge of moving personal gear at each stop to our sleeping quarters and SWAG to respective venues for autographs

This is the only US Military Base in Africa,

a Naval Base run by Admiral Kurta

They take their football very seriously in Djibouti. Prior to the game, Coach

Brown interviews Admiral Kurta about that night’s competition.

Unlike the sand and rock football field in Iraq, in Djibouti, the field is fully covered

with artificial turf and stadium lights allow nighttime games

The National Anthem is Played

Navy’s Football Captain gets the team fired up while Rick Neuheisel listens intently

The Coaches love the passion and enthusiasm of these players.

After the game, the coaches shook hands with all who played.

Every time we entered a mess hall to eat, troops swarmed the coaches to

spend time, enjoy a meal and listen to their thoughts

Houston Nutt was awed by the poverty of the local population surrounding the Naval Base. We stopped for a picture on the way to the airport.

Our final stop is another Naval Base in Rota, Spain. The coaches sit on the edge of a golf course to answer questions.

Tommy Tuberville was surprised by the adoring Auburn fans that couldn’t wait to meet him.

An Ole Miss family each receives signed “camouflage”footballs from Coach Nutt.

The coaches developed wonderful relationships

with each other during the tour.

Our final opportunity to enjoy local cuisine was at this Flamenco restaurant. Here octopus is prepared and served with other delicacies.

The Base Commander was a die-hard UCLA fan and brought his wife to meet Rick Neuheisel.

Time for one last group photo with our flight crew by the beach in Spain.

Our Mission Commander, Maj Lucas Jobe was ready to lead our group on the flight back to

Andrews AFB

There’s always time

for a little friendly

competition between a young Air

Force Captain and

Coach Tressel

It was an extraordinary privilege to travel with these wonderful men on our mission of morale.