Enjoying high school football, even in Afghanistan
August 25th, 2010 | Afghanistan Army Football | Posted by Phil Creed
Maj. Roy Nickerson's son, Alex, about to kick an extra point during his first varsity football game.
Sometimes it takes awhile to realize how lucky you are. When I played high school football, my father never missed a single game in four years. My four brothers also played high school football, and of all their games, he missed just one. Years later, he can tell you exactly which son’s game he missed, when it occurred and who the other team was.
It took me years to understand that this was more than just a show of dedication and support by my father. Seeing us play in these games really meant a ton to him, far beyond wins or losses or playing time.
So when I received the e-mail below from After Action special correspondent Maj. Roy Nickerson, it struck a nerve. You see, Maj. Nickerson is currently serving in Afghanistan with his unit in the 101st Airborne. Turns out his 15-year-old son, Alex, a punter and kicker for Adair County High School in Kentucky,was playing in his first varsity game last week. Roy Nickerson, obviously, was not able to see his son’s big moment.
It’s a harsh reality similar to what hundreds, if not thousands of deployed troops go through on a regular basis. While they’re out fighting the bad guys, they have to miss their daughter’s first day of kindergarten, their son’s first little league hit, their brother’s college graduation, or in Roy’s case, his son’s first varsity football game. It’s one of the many sacrifices deployed troops make for the rest of us – missing the moments in their family’s lives that we sometimes to take for granted.
Maj. Roy Nickerson
But thanks to internet, the major had the next-best thing to actually being in Kentucky to see his son play: He was able to listen to a streamed broadcast of the game live online. Here’s Maj. Nickerson’s account, which perfectly tells the story of a proud father using technology to make the best of a tough situation:
“We berate technology when it stops working and subsequently our relatively convenient lives become a little harder. Tonight, though, technology by way of the internet allowed me to experience a little of my son’s high school football game. I woke early to listen to the Friday night matchup via streaming audio pumped out by the local radio station where he lives.
The broadcast was first-rate. The commentators were fantastic, obviously veterans of the local high school sports scene. They kept the analysis lively with personal stories and colorful anecdotes about the boys on the field and talked here and there about past heroes. The interspersed commercials advertising small-town restaurants, small-engine repair shops, and local banks reminded me of my youth growing up in Kentucky.
I closed my eyes and I was transported to a high school football field on a hot, muggy Friday night in Central Kentucky. I chewed my nails and imagined the folksy pageantry of the first game of the season versus a neighboring county rival. Through my headphones, I could faintly hear the rhythmic chants of the cheerleaders and the occasional yell of an angry father or a screeching complaint of a mother. I might as well have been sitting right next to them. I noted the boys my son is friends with, some of whom I’ve met, others I know only through their funny Facebook status updates and the pictures they post. Man, they get bigger every year!
Most of all, though, I thought about my son— a sophomore starting his first varsity football game. I wondered how nervous and excited he must have been despite his perpetually calm outward demeanor. I wondered if he realized I was there in the stands as proud as any of the other parents watching. Thank God for high school football. Thank Him even more for the internet to hear a game all the way in Afghanistan.”
For the record, Alex and his team won the opener 20-19.
Best Tim Kennedy video yet
August 14th, 2010 | Afghanistan Army Mixed martial arts | Posted by Phil Creed
The good folks at Ranger Up have put together a short video promoting their brother-in-arms, Staff Sgt. Tim Kennedy. He’s fighting for the Strikeforce middleweight title on Aug 21, and Kennedy has been getting more and more attention as the matchup with Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza approaches. But After Action ranks this video as the most interesting piece of media produced thus far.
As you probably know, Kennedy is a Special Forces operator who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and currently serves in the Texas National Guard. You don’t often hear him talking about specific experiences he had in war, but the final minute or so of this video gets pretty emotional as Kennedy describes fighting in a three-day ambush in Afghanistan.
Ooh-Rah USA!
June 24th, 2010 | Afghanistan Soccer | Posted by Mike Hoffman
Landon Donovan celebrates after his goal against Algeria lifts the U.S. to the Round of 16. (AP photo)
A Marine lance corporal fighting in Helmand province fired off a message to the U.S. National Team after Landon Donovan’s strike in the 91st minute of yesterday’s World Cup match. Lance Cpl. Nate Bickel didn’t know if it would reach the team, but it did and many players posted the link to it on their Twitter feeds. Here it is:
Name: Lcpl Nate Bickel
Subject: Group C Champions
Message: So we aren’t sure who to send this to but my unit here in Helmand Province, Afghanistan wanted you to know the Kilo Company 3d Battalion, 3d Marine Regiment couldn’t be more proud of the U.S. National Team and were excited every time we can hear about the games since we don’t have the luxury of TV here. Keep fighting!
Cheering on the blokes
June 24th, 2010 | Afghanistan Soccer | Posted by Mike Hoffman
The English side has had a rough go of it so far during this World Cup, with players sleeping with other players’ ex-wives, the former captain speaking out against the coach, and then, of course, the embarrassing draw to the Yanks. Despite it all, though, the English snuck out of Group C and advanced to the Round of 16 after beating Slovenia 1-0 yesterday. Of course, the U.S. shocked everyone and won the group. Bollocks!!!!!
Before the World Cup kicked off their fellow countrymen in uniform taped this inspirational message and sent it off to Rooney and Co.
Watching the World Cup on the job, Afghanistan style
June 23rd, 2010 | Afghanistan Army Soccer | Posted by Phil Creed
Landon Donovan scores the game-winner past Algeria goalkeeper Rais M'Bolhi. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Maj. Roy Nickerson and a group of soldiers at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan did their best to watch today’s epic U.S.-Algeria World Cup match on TV. But as you might expect, the realities of war zone life did not make it easy.
In the end, Nickerson, a member of the 101st Airborne, was able to witness Landon Donovan’s game-winning goal. Sort of. Read his description of the scene at Bagram and you’ll understand:
Tonight I was not able to partake in most of the festivities surrounding the US-Algeria World Cup Soccer match. “Festivities” at our location essentially equates to a near-beer and dozens of folks who hardly know anything about soccer sitting around a small television screen waiting for the US to score a goal. All-important meetings caused my absence for about 90% of the game.
My duties led me to the operations center floor. The place looks like a bad set depicting NASA Mission Control in a low-budget action flick. But fortunately, one of the larger television screens was airing the game in its final minutes. Now, the operations center hums with quiet conversations because should it get too loud, you get a speech from a guy whose job it is to give angry speeches about the importance of being quiet and not being loud … and he’s loud about it. I’ve heard this speech many times and it’s annoying, so I’m quiet along with the other folks that work there.
The game was tied at zero and as the time ticked on, more and more folks became engaged. Then suddenly, it was announced that some maintenance would have to occur so the all-important screen showing the game was turned off. Finally, after waiting an excruciatingly long time, the game turned back on and we watched as Landon Donavan scored the winning goal. Of course, we missed it live and were watching the replay, but at the time, we didn’t know. Remember — it’s still darned quiet. That is unless you count the one surprisingly effeminate yelp that leapt from my mouth in a group of many, many steely-eyed warriors. It was hard to play that one off. I most certainly lost some “cool points.” Actually, I probably went into cool debt, but it was worth it.
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
This Olympian would rather be in Afghanistan
May 24th, 2010 | Afghanistan Army | Posted by Phil Creed
John Napier finished 10th in the two-man bobsled at the 2010 Winter Olympics. (Getty Images)
During the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Sgt. John Napier said he hoped to soon deploy with his unit to Afghanistan as a member of the Vermont National Guard. But the Army apparently preferred for the world-class bobsledder to continue his training stateside.
Napier said in a recent interview that he’s pretty uneasy about that decision.
“The feeling of guilt I have not being over there weighs heavily every day,” Napier told the Albany Times-Union.
Vermont’s 86th Brigade Combat Team arrived in Afghanistan in March. Guardsmen from the 86th were involved with repelling the insurgent attack on Bagram Air Field this past Saturday.
Napier, who finished 10th in the 2-man bobsled in Vancouver, is now training at Lake Placid as part of the Army’s World Class Athlete Program. He’s recovered from a neck injury he suffered during the four-man competition in Vancouver, and is preparing for world cup season.
“It stinks not going [to Afghanistan]. That was and is where my heart is,” he told the paper. “I was kind of really let down inside, that I wouldn’t get the opportunity to serve over there.”
Read the full Times-Union story here.
Returning Marine surprises Redskins cheerleader wife; team bungles feel good story
May 4th, 2010 | Afghanistan Football Marine Corps | Posted by Mike Hoffman
Marine Lt. Denver Edick wanted to surprise his wife, who happens to be a Redskins cheerleader (Ooh-Rah Marine!), upon his return from a deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan at a Redskins cheerleading practice. So he called a local TV affiliate to catch the reunion on camera.
Nice story, right? Most teams would love the free publicity of a Marine surprising his cheerleader wife. Well, the Redskins are not most teams. Full disclosure: I am a Redskins season ticket holder and remain a die-hard fan even though they seem to do everything in their power to push fans like myself away. Last year, the Post uncovered how the Redskins sued season ticket holders including an elderly woman and banned signs inside the stadium when the season went south and most fans demanded the owner fire the GM (which he did, thankfully).
So how did the Edick reunion lead to Edick’s wife Kristin Edick almost losing her job and Redskins owner Daniel Snyder writing a letter of apology to a local TV station chief? Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz broke the story and I’d encourage everyone to check it out its entirety, but I’ll provide a quick synopsis to anyone too lazy to click over.
Edick, who is from Asheville, N.C., first called a local television affiliate from his hometown. When that station couldn’t send a reporter up to D.C., they asked a partner station, WJLA to capture the reunion. However, when a WJLA reporter asked the Redskins to bring cameras to the practice, he was denied. Not only that, the Redskins then offered the story to a competing affiliate, which has a broadcast deal with the team. Read the rest of this entry »
Obama and troops watch NCAA tourney in Afghanistan
March 29th, 2010 | Afghanistan Basketball | Posted by Phil Creed
President Obama greets military personnel in Dragon dining facility at Bagram Air Base on March 29. The Michigan State-Tennessee regional final is on TV in the background(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
It’s well-known that President Obama is a hoops junkie, so it’s not a big surprise that he took full advantage of the TVs at Bagram to watch some March Madness while meeting with U.S. servicemembers in Afghanistan.
The Washington Post has video of Obama sneaking peaks at the games while at Bagram. Judging by his bracket picks, the CINC probably didn’t like what he saw.
Operation Watch Super Bowl
March 16th, 2010 | Afghanistan | Posted by Mike Hoffman
Staff Sgt. Marshall Fitzgerald grew up in Hattiesburg, Miss. Although it might be blasphemy in those parts to cheer against Brett Favre, he is a life long New Orleans Saints fan.
FORWARD OPERATING BASE MIZAN, Afghanistan -– Staff Sgt. Marshall Fitzgerald grew up in Hattiesburg, Miss., as a die hard New Orleans Saints fan. When the Saints finally marched into the Super Bowl, he was all set to watch quarterback Drew Brees pick apart Peyton Manning’s Indianapolis Colts.
One problem. He is stationed in Afghanistan. FOB Bullard in the Zabul Province had a TV with Armed Forces Network, but the night of the Super Bowl a blizzard cut out the signal.
Panic set in. He raced to the computer in his room and had his wife set up the web cam in front of the TV, which he was able to watch via Yahoo Messenger. It might have had about a three minute delay, but he was able to watch Saints coach Sean Payton hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
For those deployed without a TV signal, Fitzgerald’s outside-of-the-box thinking might be of help for those wanting to watch the NCAA Tournament over the next couple weeks.
March Madness comes to Mizan
March 16th, 2010 | Afghanistan After Action | Posted by Mike Hoffman
1st. Lt. Sean Snook rests after a long patrol outside FOB Mizan while waiting for the debrief.
FORWARD OPERATING BASE MIZAN, Afghanistan -– March Madness has come to Afghanistan’s Zabul province.
Afghan Capt. Hamza Jawid got a quick lesson on American culture Monday from 1st Lt. Sean Snook. The LT explained the phenomenon of March Madness to the Afghan captain over lunch after the town’s shura.
Staring at the 24-year-old U.S. officer with a confused look, Jawid had trouble understanding why Americans would subject themselves to madness for fun. Grabbing his head, Snook tried to tell the captain it was a good madness. Spending this season cheering for the streaky shooting Maryland guard Grevis Vasquez, I could understand the captain’s confusion.
Even though the 48 soldiers at FOB Mizan might be stationed amidst a collection of farms and villages, which are stuck in the 19th century, doesn’t mean they can’t have a March Madness pool.
If you log onto ESPN.com, their group name is Mizan Madness.