Hi Everyone!

Sorry it has taken so long to post my journal about my trip with the USO to Afghanistan, Iraq and Germany.

This trip was a very special one as I was invited to travel with Admiral Mike Mullen and his wife Deborah as part of The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) annual USO holiday tour along with my former tennis coach and friend Nick Bollettieri, comedian Dave Attell and singer Billy Ray Cyrus.

Although this tour was the third one I have done with the USO it was my first one in a conflict zone, which they refer to as down range.  I knew from the very beginning that it was going to be an experience I would never forget but truthfully I did not really know what to expect as we were not given details of our trip until departure due to security concerns. That is why I could not give you guys a heads up of when and where I was going and send updates and pictures from our locations.

Upon departure from Andrews Air Force Base I learned we would be visiting three counties in just seven days on our whirlwind tour. Our first stop was Afghanistan. Although I knew we would be safe with the security detail we had, I could not help but wonder what was in store for us, what we would see and how the morale of the troops would be as this is one of the heaviest places of conflict our military is dealing with right now. During our four day stay we visited five different locations within the country doing sometimes two shows and several meet and greets a day. It was great to go out to some of the remote locations and visit with the troops, despite everything going on over there and being away from their families during the holidays. They were all in such good spirits and were so happy to see us. The shows went great! Dave kicked everything off and got it all started with thunderous laughs! He is so funny and if you ever have the opportunity to see him live I suggest you do and I guarantee you will leave with a side ache from laughing so hard! Next up was Nick, he gave the most inspirational speeches, I even cried because I was so touched by his passion for the troops and what the military means to him. It really brought me back to my childhood listening to him inspire and fire everyone up to be a winner! After Nick it was my turn to go out and thank everyone for doing all they do for our country, allowing us to feel safe knowing they are there protecting our freedom. Closing out the show was Billy Ray, his acoustic set was amazing. He has the most beautiful song called “Some Gave All” about a war veteran which really resonated with the troops, listening to them sing along with him was breathtaking. The whirlwind of Afghanistan almost felt like going to summer camp as a child, a group of people traveling around together doing back to back activities with not a lot of down time. We slept in bunk beds with sometimes six people to a room, at times with almost no heat, using flashlights during the night and travel towels that we brought from home. It brought back a lot of memories for me growing up in Russia. My favorite part was eating in the dining facility (cafeteria) with all of the troops. The time we spent there were some of my most memorable moments, being able to sit down with some of the service men and women and really getting a chance to talk with them and hear their stories. They all had such great positive attitudes and although they were missing home and their families they knew they were there to do a job and under the circumstances they couldn’t be happier.

From Afghanistan it was off to Iraq for two days, where we visited three different locations. Iraq was so different than Afghanistan. Afghanistan was freezing and very dusty and not built up at all whereas Iraq almost felt like we were in a little city. We actually stayed in what was once a palace owned by Saddam Hussein, it still had some of the original furniture in it. While in Iraq we did two shows and several meet and greets, we also had a little down time to visit and tour around the bases. We got to shop at the weekly bazaar (this is where locals come in and sell trinkets and odds and ends native to the country) and the base PX, where I bought my new favorite backpack in the Army digital pattern.

Next it was off to Germany for a visit to Landstuhl Hospital. This was my second visit to the hospital and although I had been there before it was not any easier this time. This is the location they bring the seriously injured from down range to stabilize them before they are brought back to America for further medical treatment. Meeting some of the injured was once again a wakeup call to what goes on during times of conflict and what these brave men and women sacrifice to keep all of us safe. I just hope they know how much we really appreciate all they do.

During our tour we also got to visit many USO Centers, these centers are a place for our troops to go to feel a little comfort of home by connecting with their friends and families either via phone or internet all free of charge, playing video games or even watching a movie. It was great to see the centers being utilized the way they were meant to be!
This trip is one of my most memorable ones. The people I met and the things I experienced will stay with me forever. I just hope that we were able to lift their spirits and provide some of them a much needed break (even if just for a short period of time) from the sometimes uncertain day to day operations of being in a conflict zone.

It was such an honor to be included in this tour and I feel very lucky to have had this opportunity to bring a little piece of home and holiday cheer to the troops who are serving our country during this time of conflict. I cannot thank the USO, Admiral Mullen, his wife, Deborah and their wonderful team enough for giving me this experience of a lifetime to show my appreciation and express my gratitude to our service men and women and their families for all they do and sacrifice to keep us safe.

www.uso.org
www.jcs.mil