Hi Everyone,

I just returned from the tour I did with the USO in Turkey and Germany. What an amazing experience I had with all the troops and the kids on the bases. This trip was a bit different than my Guam experience as our lodging was on the actual base and most of the time we got to eat at the commissary with everyone. Even though for some reason I was very tired from traveling and my body clock was really off this trip to Europe, it was so satisfying and
really touched me.

The trip started in Adana, Turkey at Incirlik Air Base, although it is a Turkish run base it was very American and even had a Burger King and Pizza Hut. During my visit I got to meet and spend time with everyone from the kids up to the Commander of the base. I toured a C-17 as it was getting prepped and loaded for a mission 'down range' and even got to check out the facility where Security Forces (all the people who keep the base safe) keep all of the gear they use which they call 'the toy room'. I have to say the most fulfilling part of the day was visiting the Youth Center and learning
that it is an actual Boys and Girls Club. I came to learn that the military has a partnership with BGCA and has clubs on bases throughout the World, which is so amazing because as most of you know I have a strong tie to them in the US. I also had a chance to go off base and have dinner at a local restaurant in Adana. After Incirlik it was off to Germany to visit Ramstein Air Base and Landstuhl Hospital (the largest American hospital outside of the US).

In Germany, I got to spend time with students from Ramstein High School andtheir rivals across town in K-Town, where I gave speeches on sports and health and had Q&A sessions with a lot of cool questions from the kids. My visit to Landstuhl Hospital was such an amazing and emotionally moving experience. I got to visit with some of the men injured in the line of duty and even saw one of the men being brought in right off a flight from Iraq to be stabilized before being sent back to the US for further medical attention. I was so inspired by how positive they were despite some of their injuries and most of them could not wait to go back 'down range' to be with their squadrons. I could have spent hours talking to each of them as they all had different stories that were so interesting and moving. It is hard to
describe in words what you see and feel when you are there in person compared to what you hear in the news as it becomes so real and tangible. The reality of what goes on 'down range' and how many lives are affected, not only the actual troops but also their families, is mind blowing. The tour wrapped up with a visit to the USO Warrior Center, a center that is a place for them to go to hang out and get away from all of the therapies and physical part of their recovery. It is also an emotional recovery center, as they can do everything there from playing cards to playing Guitar Hero. They also have free phone and internet access to stay connected to their families.

The tour was over as quickly as it started and I found myself sad to be going home as I felt I could have spent another week there and still have not seen everything there was to see, visit all the people there were to visit and learn everything there was to learn. I would really like to thank the USO and everyone on the bases for their hospitality and inspiration. I look forward to my next tour with the USO.