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Wanted: Entertainers for War Zone. Helmets Provided
Army Seeks Stars to Visit Bases in Afghanistan
By Walter Pincus - Staff Writer
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Entertainers and athletes have long visited troops overseas to boost morale. Last year, comedian Robin Williams greeted soldiers in Afghanistan. (By Rafiq Maqbool -- Associated Press)
The war in Afghanistan is heating up, so it must be time for the wrestling divas.
And what better way to boost the spirits of troops dining on MREs and dodging IEDs than some abbreviations with more pleasing associations -- such as NASCAR and NFL?
Over the next five months, the U.S. Army is preparing to reinforce troop morale with "Entertainment from the Home Front," a string of touring entertainers and athletes that will include World Wrestling Entertainment Divas, National Football League cheerleaders and players, NASCAR drivers, and professional rodeo participants.
The program calls for 10 tour groups to travel separately to Afghanistan for 10-day periods, according to a Nov. 14 solicitation by the U.S. Army Europe that seeks "professional and reputable tour promoters to provide the type of entertainment services required."
Military leaders have long recognized the necessity of bringing a piece of home to their troops to relax them and take their minds off the trauma of conflict. The list of entertainers they are now seeking, which they hope will reflect what the troops watch on TV, and the meticulous attention to detail offer a unique window on the broad diversity in the 21st-century Army and the venue in which it is fighting.
Outside the bases where they will perform, the entertainers will face the same constraints the troops live with. For example, as a nod to cultural sensibilities in Afghanistan, where insurgent attacks have increased as much as 30 percent this year, the entertainers are being asked to observe dress codes that will not offend the local population.
So it is that the divas and cheerleaders whose work outfits are designed to expose maximum flesh are reminded that "some of the countries visited are very sensitive about body appearance." They are told: "During all non-performance times, the body shall be fully clothed. Shoulders shall be covered. Hips, buttocks and upper legs shall be covered to the top of the knee," according to the solicitation.
Furthermore, before the trip, "pre-approved autograph cards" with photographs must be supplied to make sure they are "acceptable by persons of alternate religions and faiths as not to offend the host nation population."
Standards of good taste are listed in the solicitation almost as commandments:
"An acknowledged deity will not be referred to in a manner that would offend a follower of any religious faith.
"Profanity, vulgarity, or connotations of sexual depravity and perversion will not be used.
"Military, racial, religious, or national groups will not be defamed, and individual deformities will not be ridiculed."
These shows will supplement, not replace, the more familiar USO tours that have long brought big-name entertainers to troops in the field. Last year's USO Christmas holiday tour to Afghanistan, for example, was led by Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and featured Robin Williams, Kid Rock, Lewis Black, Lance Armstrong and Miss USA Rachel Smith. All volunteered their time.
Army-arranged tours, such as these to Afghanistan, are primarily for "the up-and-coming people, who are paid to go," according to Mark Phillips, a USO spokesman.
The Army is exercising strict quality control for its shows -- no has-beens allowed. The five women wrestlers who are scheduled to travel to Afghanistan for 10 days in February must "be current or have been employed as a WWE Diva in the past 3 years." The six NFL franchise cheerleaders, who go in late December, must be "current NFL cheerleaders." The three NFL players, who are to visit around Super Bowl Sunday in late January, should include current or recently retired players, Hall of Fame members, or someone who played in one of the last eight Super Bowls.
According to the solicitation, the touring personnel will also include Major League Baseball players (current players, recently retired, members of the Hall of Fame or actively played in the World Series within the past eight years), professional basketball players of both sexes (current, recently retired, Hall of Fame, actively played in NBA finals within past eight years), TV and film actors ("must have appeared in a major film or national televised series (excluding reality type shows) with the past 12 months") and recording artists (their albums "must be available on a major record label . . . at least one a nationally distributed album that reached the top 100 within the past 12 months").
The groups are to be housed sometimes in "multi-bedded bays or group sea huts, separated by gender, with toilet and bath facilities in an adjacent building." Anyone who wants more luxurious lodgings will have to pay for them.
Because the performers will be in a war zone, they will be given both Kevlar helmets and individual body armor and must wear them at all times while traveling in country on airplanes or helicopters. All personnel are to receive Level 1 antiterrorism awareness training before they go.
Of course, no alcohol can be consumed or even be present during a performance, nor can anyone smoke while onstage or at events afterward. Drugs are prohibited, and tour members are told that the U.S. government "shall not be responsible" if anyone is caught, fined or jailed by a host nation. A person who carries prescription drugs must have "the original container with the patient's name on the container," and it must match the name on the person's passport.
Army Seeks Stars to Visit Bases in Afghanistan
By Walter Pincus - Staff Writer
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Entertainers and athletes have long visited troops overseas to boost morale. Last year, comedian Robin Williams greeted soldiers in Afghanistan. (By Rafiq Maqbool -- Associated Press)
The war in Afghanistan is heating up, so it must be time for the wrestling divas.
And what better way to boost the spirits of troops dining on MREs and dodging IEDs than some abbreviations with more pleasing associations -- such as NASCAR and NFL?
Over the next five months, the U.S. Army is preparing to reinforce troop morale with "Entertainment from the Home Front," a string of touring entertainers and athletes that will include World Wrestling Entertainment Divas, National Football League cheerleaders and players, NASCAR drivers, and professional rodeo participants.
The program calls for 10 tour groups to travel separately to Afghanistan for 10-day periods, according to a Nov. 14 solicitation by the U.S. Army Europe that seeks "professional and reputable tour promoters to provide the type of entertainment services required."
Military leaders have long recognized the necessity of bringing a piece of home to their troops to relax them and take their minds off the trauma of conflict. The list of entertainers they are now seeking, which they hope will reflect what the troops watch on TV, and the meticulous attention to detail offer a unique window on the broad diversity in the 21st-century Army and the venue in which it is fighting.
Outside the bases where they will perform, the entertainers will face the same constraints the troops live with. For example, as a nod to cultural sensibilities in Afghanistan, where insurgent attacks have increased as much as 30 percent this year, the entertainers are being asked to observe dress codes that will not offend the local population.
So it is that the divas and cheerleaders whose work outfits are designed to expose maximum flesh are reminded that "some of the countries visited are very sensitive about body appearance." They are told: "During all non-performance times, the body shall be fully clothed. Shoulders shall be covered. Hips, buttocks and upper legs shall be covered to the top of the knee," according to the solicitation.
Furthermore, before the trip, "pre-approved autograph cards" with photographs must be supplied to make sure they are "acceptable by persons of alternate religions and faiths as not to offend the host nation population."
Standards of good taste are listed in the solicitation almost as commandments:
"An acknowledged deity will not be referred to in a manner that would offend a follower of any religious faith.
"Profanity, vulgarity, or connotations of sexual depravity and perversion will not be used.
"Military, racial, religious, or national groups will not be defamed, and individual deformities will not be ridiculed."
These shows will supplement, not replace, the more familiar USO tours that have long brought big-name entertainers to troops in the field. Last year's USO Christmas holiday tour to Afghanistan, for example, was led by Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and featured Robin Williams, Kid Rock, Lewis Black, Lance Armstrong and Miss USA Rachel Smith. All volunteered their time.
Army-arranged tours, such as these to Afghanistan, are primarily for "the up-and-coming people, who are paid to go," according to Mark Phillips, a USO spokesman.
The Army is exercising strict quality control for its shows -- no has-beens allowed. The five women wrestlers who are scheduled to travel to Afghanistan for 10 days in February must "be current or have been employed as a WWE Diva in the past 3 years." The six NFL franchise cheerleaders, who go in late December, must be "current NFL cheerleaders." The three NFL players, who are to visit around Super Bowl Sunday in late January, should include current or recently retired players, Hall of Fame members, or someone who played in one of the last eight Super Bowls.
According to the solicitation, the touring personnel will also include Major League Baseball players (current players, recently retired, members of the Hall of Fame or actively played in the World Series within the past eight years), professional basketball players of both sexes (current, recently retired, Hall of Fame, actively played in NBA finals within past eight years), TV and film actors ("must have appeared in a major film or national televised series (excluding reality type shows) with the past 12 months") and recording artists (their albums "must be available on a major record label . . . at least one a nationally distributed album that reached the top 100 within the past 12 months").
The groups are to be housed sometimes in "multi-bedded bays or group sea huts, separated by gender, with toilet and bath facilities in an adjacent building." Anyone who wants more luxurious lodgings will have to pay for them.
Because the performers will be in a war zone, they will be given both Kevlar helmets and individual body armor and must wear them at all times while traveling in country on airplanes or helicopters. All personnel are to receive Level 1 antiterrorism awareness training before they go.
Of course, no alcohol can be consumed or even be present during a performance, nor can anyone smoke while onstage or at events afterward. Drugs are prohibited, and tour members are told that the U.S. government "shall not be responsible" if anyone is caught, fined or jailed by a host nation. A person who carries prescription drugs must have "the original container with the patient's name on the container," and it must match the name on the person's passport.
