Story By Keni Thomas, (U.S. Army Ranger SSGT Vet)
Sergeant First Class Gordon is in the 10th Mountain Division. He’s heading home in a few days as is the rest of his unit that he came to Afghanistan with way back in 2010. I met him last night seemingly by chance as I was hanging out in Pete’s Place at an Air Force base called Manas in Kyrgyzstan.
“Transit Station at Manas” is the staging point for most of our units traveling in and out of the Afghanistan theater. You can usually tell who’s coming in country to begin their deployment by the seriousness of their faces and the cleanliness of their uniforms. Its easy to spot who’s going home. Look for the smiles and the well-worn boots.
I was heading to Afghanistan this time with an organization called American300 as part of their “Warrior Tours,” a small motivational tour sponsored by Armed Forces Entertainment. Officially, “AFE is a Department of Defense program whose mission is: to provide quality entertainment to all military members and their families stationed overseas, with priority provided to remote & isolated locations, contingency sites, and ships-at-sea” Not many ships at sea on Manas. But they got the isolated and remote part right. . Bordered by Russia to the north and China to the east, this seems an unlikely place for a bunch of Americans to be hanging out, having a beer, and listening to a Lady Gaga song in a makeshift bar named after a NYC fire chief of 9/11.
Our particular tour of warriors featured different generations of Rangers going back to Vietnam. It’s a handshake tour where we get to spend our days visiting with soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen as they go about their daily routines. Here on Manas that can be just about anything from pulling a 12-hour guard shift at a checkpoint or staying up all night to repair a C135 Stratolifter. It may be a 58-year-old aircraft qualifying for an “antique” license plate, but that tanker is desperately needed in the fight to refuel fighter jets supporting the troops on the ground in Afghanistan engaged in direct contact with the enemy. Every person in uniform is a key piece of the puzzle crucial to mission success. It’s astounding how many resources and personnel it takes, and to what lengths America will go, to support the solider on the ground like SFC Gordon and his platoon of men.
We had just finished up a scheduled meet and greet there at Pete’s Place. America300 and I teamed up to give away a couple hundred copies of my new book GET IT ON, so
I had been signing some for all who were interested. I had just put away my Sharpie when I met SFC Gordon.
“Are you the guy signing books?” he asked me.
“I am. But I gave away everything we had with us. I was fixing to go try one of those
Krgy beers. You want one?” I offered.
But Ben didn’t really seem in the mood for a beer. I could tell he had other things on his mind…thoughts that seemed out of place for the festive atmosphere of Pete’s Place.
“Hey you know what, I’ve got a couple more in my room. I’ll run back and get one for you. What’s your name?”
“Sergeant Gordon” he responded as we shook hands.
“Yeah, I see that” pointing out the obvious name-plate on his uniform.
“Sorry...he said “It’s Ben. Been here so long I forgot my first name!”
“Well good to meet you, Ben. You guys are heading home right?”
“Yeah…most of us,” he replied.
It takes one to know one, and as a combat veteran I knew instantly what SFC Gordon was telling me. I knew his heartache, the anger, the frustration, the confusion, and the guilt that are all rolled into those three short words. Most of us means someone is not going home. Not because they are staying, but because they are gone.
“Who did you lose?” I asked
“He was my PL. I lost him a week ago.”
Notice SFC Gordon said I lost him. I can tell you why he said that. Because Ben feels responsible. As a platoon sergeant you have years of experience over a young lieutenant who gets assigned to you as your platoon leader. It’s your job to get that young lieutenant squared away and up to speed, because many times it’s that kid’s first assignment out of college. Leading a platoon of 40 or so men in combat is a huge leadership challenge. But as any good PL will tell you, the man who really runs the platoon is the platoon sergeant. “Listen to your Platoon Sergeants!” is what they teach the young infantry officer. SFC Gordon felt responsible for that kid, and he had lost his PL just a week before they were going home.
Why SFC Gordon had come to me for a book was a bit of a miracle really. I do not believe in coincidences when it comes to the folks we meet in our lives. There is always a reason for it, especially when you are “sent” to a combat zone with the purpose of spreading good will as we were on this tour. I thought giving away books was a good idea. It would give the soldiers something to read and help spread the word. But in this case God had a bigger reason for Ben and me to meet.
I ran back to my room hoping I could get back before Ben changed his mind about opening up his feelings a little. In fact, he was doing just that…walking out the door as I got back to Pete’s Place. The voice of reason inside was already telling him to shut it down. “You are not allowed to feel.”
When you make it out of something where others did not, you will spend the rest of your life thanking the people who were on your left and right that day. Because you know by the Grace of God, they are the only reason you survived. However and wherever that fight went down you are immensely proud of your unit and what you accomplished together. And that accomplishment, you reason, has got to mean something. It has to account for some sort of difference. The death of a good man has to matter, because if it doesn’t matter, then why did your comrades have to die? And that’s where it all begins: the confusion, the frustration, and the anger.
Why? That is the question that will haunt any veteran struggling with the loss of a comrade and a friend. “Why did it happen to him and not me? Why, God, did you let me walk out of there when he was twice the soldier I was? He had a wife. He had kids. He deserved to live. Why was I one of the chosen ones? Why me? What am I supposed to do with this?” And that is when the guilt begins to take hold like an ugly cancer, slowly deteriorating your ability to be happy.
You can do one of two things with the guilt. You can get angry and let the unfairness of it all bury you. Or you can choose to let it motivate you. See it for what it is. It’s more than an opportunity or some divine “second chance.” See it as a responsibility, a duty, and a commitment to those who got you out of there; to carry on and live a happy life filled with purpose, direction and motivation.
How do I know this? Because I’ve lived it. Years after the battle, even after the noise of slamming doors no longer made me duck for cover, and the mere site of Old Glory no longer made me cry, I was still feeling the effects of combat. I was still fighting the Battle of Mogadishu, only now I was years away, safe at home in the middle of a good life.
Guilt continued to haunt me. Sure, I followed my dreams of music. The intestinal fortitude instilled in me as a Ranger would not allow otherwise. Outwardly, Keni was a positive, motivated dreamer skipping through life doing what he loved to do. Good for him. Way to go, Keni.
But down inside I could never fully commit to enjoying the life I had. In fact, I could never fully commit to anything. Why? Because it just didn’t seem “hard” enough. Somewhere in my heart, I felt I wasn’t supposed to be happy. It should be enough that I was here when others were not.
Guilt affected everything—my sense of self worth, my relationships, and my ability to enjoy the life God had given me. The moment I felt the good life closing in, the voice of guilt began to whisper. “You know you’re not allowed to be happy. Think about Casey’s wife. Think about Pilla’s parents. How do you think they feel?”
And so the enemy within me would covertly sabotage whatever good God had sent my way. I became a master of disguise, camouflaging my emotions. On the outside I appeared passionate and full of fire, declaring “I love my life. I love you!” Because as a “good Christian,” that’s what I knew I was supposed to be. In reality, however, I was shutting down my feelings because somewhere between the streets of Mogadishu, the hospitals of recovering friends, and the tombstones at Arlington, I convinced myself I didn’t deserve to be here.
Like I said, it takes one to know one, and it was a Vietnam veteran, a friend of my father, who wrote to me after yet another painful breakup I had somehow managed to manufacture. And without talking to me or knowing me all that well, he pinpointed the problem with the accuracy of a laser-guided missile.
“You know, Keni, you are allowed to be happy,” he said. “In fact, you owe it to those guys who got you out of there.”
Yeah, yeah tell me something I hadn’t already heard.
But it was this next line I remember most that planted the seed of change in my restless and guilt-ridden heart.
“If any one of your friends could come back from the dead and talk to you today, do you really think they would tell you that you were supposed to feel guilty?”
I’m not saying the change was an immediate metamorphosis, as if God himself had spoken the words and then “shazam!” I was struck by a bolt of lightning. But the spark was ignited and I knew that combat veteran of Vietnam was right. I’d grown accustomed to the numbness and was comfortable within the walls I had erected around my heart. It is exactly those walls we build to protect us that ultimately imprison us. This guilt I dragged around with me like a ball and chain was self-imposed. I had the key all along. God had indeed spoken to me. The choice was mine to make.
I told the same story to Ben, as we stayed a little while and talked.
“It’s gonna be a long road” I assured him. “This one isn’t gonna be easy. You’re gonna think people wont understand or don’t want to hear about it. But the more you keep it in, the worse that guilt of surviving gets to you. So tell your story. Tell his story. Because if you don’t, then who will? And please remember and NEVER forget, if your PL could come back today, he would never—not once—tell you to feel guilty for being here. You are allowed to be happy.”
As I handed the book over to SFC Ben Gordon, I realized I had become that Vietnam vet passing along the same wisdom learned from those before us. God had used me to speak to Ben. Perhaps it helped. I hope it did.
I signed his book with these words: “Thank you for your service. Welcome home. Enjoy your life. You’ve earned it. Godspeed.”
For all the hands we got to shake on the American300 Warriors Tour I pray that they all make it home. The reality is that some will not. But for those of you who do, please remember and never forget. Tell their story. For if you don’t, who will? Please remember and never forget. You are allowed to be happy. Welcome Home. Enjoy Your Life. You’ve earned it. Godspeed.
The war is over for me now. But it will always be here for the rest of my days. For those of us who did make it, we have an obligation to teach others what we know and to try with what’s left of our lives to find a goodness and meaning to this life. (Oliver Stone, from the movie Platoon)
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Armed Forces Entertainment RANGER Tour - Produced by American300 Warrior Tours
Mad Max Mullen- I just recently returned from the Armed Forces Entertainment/America300 - Ranger Tour to Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. It was an honor and privilege to be selected to participate in this amazing tour and life-changing journey. On my flight over, I really didn’t know what to expect but, I knew one thing for sure; I wanted to meet the troops in the trenches and let them know we care and appreciate the sacrifice they are making by serving overseas.
From the moment we landed at Transit Station at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, it was non-stop and at times reminded me of extended Ranger Operations. American300 the creators of this new platform ‘Profiles in Extreme Courage Series’ briefed all of us that the days would be long...no joke 20 hour days were the norm, not the exception and the best part was that none of us would have had it any other way.
Just sitting, talking and sharing a meal with the service men and women and letting them know we really cared about them made a difference in the lives of these young men and women. Visiting a Command Outpost (COP) and hearing a soldier say “Wow, we never get visitors out to see us...” made this trip so meaningful. We would stay up as long as the troops wanted, sometimes into the early morning, get a few hours of sleep, and then it would be time to roll.
I remember walking down the flight line and observing young Airmen working on the engines of a KC-135 engine with panels stripped off, technical manuals laid out, at least a dozen empty oil cans in a neat stack, and tools in line like a surgeon getting ready to perform an extensive surgery. I asked a young female Airman what she was doing and she handed me a small plastic forensics bag with metal shavings in it. She went on to explain that while doing an engine inspection they found the metal shavings and had go through a protocol of draining the oil, flushing it once then topping it off for a 10 minute engine run.
I stayed with this team for around an hour watching them follow procedures and protocols down to the most smallest detail. The attention to detail was astounding, even knowing that the oil was going to be simply drained from the engine as the procedure was finished, didn’t keep these maintainers from following every step as though the plane would be flying within minutes.
I asked whether or not they performed such a time intensive task in hangers when the weather turned bad. Their answer was “No, we perform all maintenance outside in the elements no matter how bad the weather is; rain, sleet, or snow”. My reply: “Come on, what about snow storms”? Their reply was that they just shovel the snow away and drive on. I then replied that they must like their job. “No, we love our job” was their response.
We spent three hours on the flight line that day, watching gifted American service men and women perform maintainance tasks that keep our air force flying... it was quite a contrast to the back drop across the run way... where a Soviet Aircraft Boneyard resided. Broken down derelict former soviet aircraft lay everywhere, such a stark contrast to the powerful C17’s, KC 135’s, C 130’s that our young heroes were working on .... it was reconfirmed right then and there that we have the best trained Armed Forces in the world. These young men and women were working on aircraft that were over 50 years old built back in the late 50’s. Planes that are older than their parents and they keep them flying.
I’m here to tell you that if you ever fly in a US Armed Forces Aircraft you can rest assured that you are flying in the safest aircraft in the world.
Most of my dealings with the United States Air Force have been through their Special Operations, Combat Controllers (CCT), Tactical Air Command & Control Specialists (TACP), and Parachute Rescue (PARA RESCUE). This was my first encounter, up close to the behind the scenes maintainers. My mind did a complete 180 as I realized that the same hardcore professionalism that I’d witnessed over the years with the USAF’s elite fighting men... was present on this wind swept runway. I told the assembled Airman that if I ever hear anyone bad mouthing the Air Force I would personally choke them out. Laughter arose from the crowed but they knew I meant every word of it.
I challenge anyone to spend just one day working on the Aircraft that these men and women work on, on a daily basis. I guarantee they will come away with a whole new outlook on the USAF. Without a doubt, they live by the Air Force motto “Aim high”. Having the opportunity to greet Marines, and Soldiers coming and going in theater and home bound shaking hands and giving words of encouragement was an amazing feeling. So was the chance to sit down and thank our coalition forces, the Polish, German, and Mongolian Soldiers for their service, contribution, and sacrifices in the fight. Visiting the Marines at the embassy, the vanguards of freedom vigilant and ever-alert guardians of the gates.
It’s a humbling experience when a soldier asks to take a pictures and a autograph. I told one soldier I would love to change uniforms with him right on the spot... his reply was that he would love that, too, but that he couldn’t leave his battle buddy behind.
Later in the tour after jumping UH60 hops to some of our smallest outposts, we found ourselves with the 1st Cavalry for a day. The welcome and turn out surprised us all. They rolled out the full red carpet treatment for us. Talking before a hanger full of CAV Troopers, touring and receiving a briefing on their mission, and sitting in the cockpit of an Apache Helicopter left us all speechless. I even ran into a Cav pilot who I served with back in 3rd Ranger Battalion 75th Infantry Regiment when he was a private but now sporting the rank of Chief Warrant Officer Four (WO-4). For a moment, my past met my present as we shared fond memories of serving in the 75th Regiment. There are many more stories to share from my awesome trip to the ‘Sthan” and in time I will attempt to share them.
I never had the opportunity to serve my country in this war but I am ever so grateful for the chance that Armed Forces Entertainment and American300 Foundation and Robi Powers gave me to spend sometime in the box with our brave young men and women. 
This trip provided a two fold experience for me; one, it brought me closer and opened up a new understanding that we have the best trained, best equipped, fighting force in the world, second it allowed me to share my own personal expriences, ‘wisdom‘ if you will with today’s warriors.
As I looked out over the Airfield while boarding a C17 for the ride out of Afghanistan, the words of General Douglass MacArthur echoed through my head “Old soldiers never die, they just fade away” As I silently said to myself…”Max it’s time to pass the baton, your mission is complete”. My prayers go out to all the services men and women of our wonderful armed forces.
This is Mad Max signing off… Rangers lead the way”
...All the Way Max, thanks for sharing - American300 Foundation, Fall 2011
 Mad Max Mullen presenting a certificate of Appreciation to Airmen at Transit Station at Manas, Kyrgyzstan - Fall 2011
Mad Max with members of the 1st Air CAV - Go Warriors!
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Battle tested former Army Rangers visit 1st ACB troopers in Afghanistan |
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CAMP MARMAL, Afghanistan -- Whether it was enduring a 500-foot combat jump onto the small island of Grenada, patrolling the jungles of Vietnam, or navigating the streets of battle-ravaged Mogadishu, Danny McKnight, Keni Thomas, Max Mullen, and Charlie Manis have experiences that few others can account for.
The Ranger Tour, comprised of these four former Army Rangers, touched down in northern Afghanistan to visit Soldiers of the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Oct. 4-5.
The tour was the first of American 300's Warrior Tours that highlights profiles in extreme courage and it gave the Rangers a chance to visit Afghanistan to see firsthand what Soldiers of this current generation are experiencing.
"One of the greatest privileges I could ever have is to visit these Soldiers over here to tell them thanks for everything that they do for us back in the U.S.," said McKnight.
McKnight was a convoy commander the day of Oct. 3, 1993 in Somalia during the battle of Mogadishu. His character was portrayed in the movie "Black Hawk Down".
Thomas was involved as well in that battle, fast-roping from a UH-60 Black Hawk into the streets of Mogadishu. Since then, he has become a county-music artist and often goes overseas to sing for and interact with the troops.
This occasion was no different for Thomas, who varied his musical set with a song that rendered a somber tone and then followed that up with one of his more lively singles, "Another Mexico Song" that brought laughter and a plethora of applause from the 1st ACB troopers.
Thomas touched on his interaction with the troops afterwards.
"It never fails," said Thomas. "The conversations I have with Soldiers in combat zones always are the same. Within three to five minutes, they start talking about their fellow brothers in arms over here…It's never about them."
Thomas added, "As someone who used to wear the uniform, I understand how much this means to the Soldiers to have someone come over here and talk to them."
Thomas, along with the rest of the Rangers, has a busy schedule back in the states, and that was a fact that did not go unnoticed by the Soldiers who they visited.
"The fact that they recognize what we are doing over here… that they would stop their busy lives to come and show their appreciation…it means a lot to me," said Spc. Janice Gonzales, a signal support systems specialist, assigned to Company C, 615th Aviation Support Battalion, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, originally from San Antonio.
The dates of the tour coincided with the anniversary of the battle of Mogadishu.
As he tried to contain his emotions, McKnight talked about the importance of spending the anniversary with Soldiers for the first time.
"Eighteen years ago, I was fighting in the streets of Mogadishu, and to be able to spend this anniversary with Soldiers here in Afghanistan…it's really special for me."
Throughout the tour, as they interacted with Soldiers, McKnight, Mullen and Thomas often referenced their fellow comrades who made the 'ultimate sacrifice' during their tenures in the Army.
"I've lost friends in combat and I owe it to them to tell their stories," said Thomas.
An event held at one of the 1st ACB hangars was staged as town-hall where the Rangers sat at a table in front of the audience and talked about their experiences. That set-up quickly disbanded though, as the rangers relished the opportunity to have close interaction with the Soldiers.
Gonzales added, "It was really cool to hear firsthand about their experiences and see how they have grown from them," she said.
Finally, McKnight talked about how impressed he was with the Soldiers he encountered during his visit, and said he would pass that message to everyone back in the U.S.
"When I return home, I'll be able to tell everyone about the professional demeanor and hard work ethic of the Soldiers I had the privilege to spend time with," said McKnight.
Story By: Staff Sgt Joe Armas, 1 ACB U.S. Army
For more information on Armed Forces Entertainment Office Click HERE |
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American 300 Camps Out with USO |
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Camp Marmal, Afghanistan - With over 160 centers in 10+ countries around the World, the United Services Organization ( USO ) like Armed Forces Entertainment... is coming to a theater near you! The USO was formed back in 1941, it's goal then is unchanged today.... support troops! Minus a short respite that occurred between wars, they've been supplying troops morale boosting and welfare services ever since. With a annual budget of over 130 million dollars... they've been able to do some amazing things... when they see a need... they fill it, fix it or repair it... around the world.
On this the first ever Armed Forces Entertainment RANGER Tour, we at American300 would like to express our thanks to one USO Staff member. His name is Travis Cheers and he's worked for USO a number of years. What makes Travis outstanding aside from his inherant positive 'can do' attitude and selfless commitment to excellence is the fact that he has spent this year in combat zones. From nights filled with incoming enemy rounds to making due with the supplies at hand, Travis has managed to provide tens of thousands of troops with not only a slice of home, but peace of mind as well.
This year American300 found itself in many USO Centers, from Germany to Japan, Iraq to Afghanistan, at all of them, American300 Tours were welcomed with open arms. In the case of Iraq's Basra facility and Afghanistan's Camp Marmal Center, it was Travis who was managing everything from Internet and phone lines to games and reading material. For American300 the USO was a life line of uploading strength. During the Armed Forces Entertainment: Pro Off Road Truck Tour, Wrangler National Patriot, xHEAVY Medal I and now Rangers Tour the USO Centers provided our team leaders and photographers the support needed to continue to feed daily updates in print, video and photos to the thousands who visit our website daily.
With Rangers: Danny McKnight, Mad Max Mullen, Charlie Manis and Keni Thomas now up and out of Afghanistan it's only fitting that we as an organization let Travis Cheers and USO know how much we appreciate the cooperation. American300 is a very small nonprofit, doing a very big mission. Having received the type of support from Travis and the USO made completing that mission possible this year.
For those that don't know, Armed Forces Entertainment has only 2 Official IRS 501(c)3 organizations that it works with in majority; the USO and American300. To those of us who have worked so hard to make the photos, stories and videos available to our Troops Family members while a tour is going on... it goes without saying... that we need to upload quickly... we need to get these photos of our heroes back into the hands of loved ones quickly.
Thanks to Travis and the USO Centers we've been able to provide loved ones around the world with moments captured in some of the most remote operating areas our military serves in.
In the months to come Travis will be leaving the combat zones... he's had 'enough', we just want our supporters to know how much we appreciate the work that this is doing... and will do in the months ahead. Come Home Safely Friend.
Please follow the tour on FACEBOOK
For More Information Go To: www.American300.org
The USO can be found at: www.uso.org
Armed Forces Entertainment's websit is located at: www.armedforcesentertainment.com |
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Former Rangers visit Deeds soldiers |
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CAMP DEH DADI II, Afghanistan - Former U.S. Army Rangers shared their stories and support with soldiers at a dining facility here Oct. 2.
The visit was part of the Armed Forces Entertainment Ranger Tour created by Robi Powers and his nonprofit organization American300. The all-volunteer organization attracted the attention of four former Rangers who were thrilled to meet deployed soldiers.
The former Rangers, with all the incredible experiences they’ve had, presented themselves as human beings in a deployed environment just like everyone else in the room. It was on this level they connected with the soldiers. Before they shared their inspiring stories at center stage, they ate and talked with soldiers from 24th Brigade Support Battalion is if they were part of the unit.
“They don’t ignore anyone, they’ll talk to you and get to know you,” said Spc. Tereza Purdon, an Overland Park, Kan., native, now a chaplains assistant with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 24th Brigade Support Battalion, 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
“This is one of the most exciting things I have done since I retired,” said retired Col. Danny McKnight, a former Ranger battalion commander. “Anybody that has the opportunity to do this, to come visit our American soldiers, and did not take advantage of it is absolutely out of their mind. Because this is the greatest privilege anybody can have.”
McKnight, portrayed by Tom Sizemore in the movie “Black Hawk Down,” was a widely recognized name throughout the camp.
Sgt. Russell Fiske, a Wilmington, Del., native, now a truck commander with 1049th Transportation Company, Delaware National Guard, had recently watched “Black Hawk Down” before he knew the Rangers were coming.
Fiske and his peers ate with McKnight during dinner.
“They care enough to come over here and talk to the troops, spend time with us, and I think that speaks a lot to their character and a lot to being a soldier,” Fiske said.
The amount of mutual respect between the groups was apparent as the former Rangers praised the soldiers for their service.
“The thing I remember most is that I got to be one of you, I got to be an American soldier and to me there’s nothing finer,” McKnight said to the crowd. “It is an honor to be in your presence, I mean it from the bottom of my heart.”
Charlie Manis, a former Ranger who was assigned to the only National Guard Ranger rifle company that saw combat in Vietnam, asked the female soldiers to stand up for applause. He said it was important for male soldiers to recognize their equal military service.
Keni Thomas, former Ranger now country musician, played guitar and sang for the soldiers to express his appreciation.
Spc. Lindsey Pierson, a Hampton, Iowa native, now a supply specialist with A Company, 24th Brigade Support Battalion, is a fan of Thomas’ music and enjoyed every bit of the Ranger Tour, saying the songs and speeches “keep your motivation from falling.”
“It really opens your eyes, it makes you appreciate what you have where you’re at no matter what,” Pierson said.
From the back of the room, the amount of camera flashes and outstretched cell phones filming video made the performance look like a red carpet event. But up close, it seemed more like a meeting between old friends. The former Rangers were kind and took the time to talk with every person that approached them.
“Being an old [non-commissioned officer], the most important thing was taking care of my troops,” said Howard “Mad Max” Mullen, retired Army Ranger master sergeant. “Even though I’m no longer in the military, I see these men and women and if there’s anything I can do to support them, I’m all for it.”
Mullen described the soldiers at the camp as “highly motivated and very impressive.”
“Everywhere I stopped here the soldiers are vigilant,” Mullen said. “They’re alert and ready to roll, I like that.”
Mullen, who has appeared in movies, is the owner and CEO of Tactical MilSim magazine, and has had three action figures created of him, showed no egotism or superiority toward the soldiers. Instead, he showed pride in the people around him.
“I’ll tell you what, just to get out here with you soldiers, to walk amongst you, to share a meal with you, it really means a lot to me,” Mullen said to the group of soldiers. “There is no other place I’d rather be than right here in this moment with all of you.”
Story by Spc. Nathan Goodall |
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Undisclosed Areas of Operation Afghanistan- When the RANGERS dropped into Granada to rescue American college students, fought in the jungles of Vietnam and streets of Somalia... they weren’t alone, they had coalition forces supporting them. Today in Afghanistan the same spirit of teamwork was witnessed as Armed Forces Entertainment RANGER Tour members participating in the DoD’s first ever series of tours focused on showcasing ‘Extreme Profiles in Courage’ by heroes of wars past, found itself stuck.
“There’s a war going on and we’re a part of it, but a low priority part of it in the big picture” said tour leader Robi Powers of American300, who has lead dozens of these types of resiliency tours for his nonprofit over the past 3 years. “We got stuck at an air base today without any possibility of US Air Force support due to priority rescheduling of several flights, it’s not the first time it’s happened and certainly won’t be the last... it comes with the territory.”
That ‘territory’ is the result of Colonel Kathleen Weatherspoon, Chief of Armed Forces Entertainment along with her staff of joint service military members, giving American300 resiliency tours some of the most aggressive, most remote location tour schedules that the DoD has to offer. ‘Where the Sun Don’t Shine’, is what American300 volunteer members like to call their brand of troop touring.
Luckily for the RANGERS the sun was shining bright today, as a C-160 crew out of northern Germany’s LTG 63rd Hohn 1st Wing... gave the nod to the ISAF travel desk to help get the Rangers and Powers to a remote Army Camp before sunset. “I’ve jumped out of these many times” said Mad Max Mullen to Major Timo Jing of Germany’s famous 63rd LTG. “What I like the most about this plane is the light and bell system for parachute drops” he added as he sat alongside the navigation officer who kept the plane flying in the right direction throughout the day.
With stops at air fields large and small, the Rangers got to know, Staff Sergeants Wangerin and Hagenow, pilots 1st Lieutenant Tannen and Captain Hoddels who along with Jing were on another 4 month deployment to AFG. “ ...these guys know how to fly, we’ve been doing combat take offs and landings all day... and every final touchdown has been softer then any commercial flight I’ve been on this year.” said Danny McKnight, (Col. ret) “I know how good are Air Force crews are.... I’ve spent my life around them, these Germans are top notch, no question about it.”
Late in the day and many airfields later the Rangers found themselves back in the care of the US Armed Forces. “If it hadn’t been for Coalition Forces working together and especially Germany’s 63rd Airlifters... we would have never made it.” briefed Powers to Lani Nevel, the DoD’s Quality of Life Director who along with Sergeant Major Speede had been tracking the teams progress over the past 30 hours. “It’s great to have you finally here, now let’s get you guys on some Black Hawks and out to a remote base for the night.” Twenty minutes later... the Ranger veterans of conflicts past were lifting off in UH 60 Black Hawks... headed towards more troops on the eve of the 18th anniversary of the battle of Mogadishu.
Stay with us as the Tour Continues..
Danke fur Alles 63rd!!!!
To follow the Tour on Facebook go to: ‘ American300 Warrior Tours ‘
To learn more about the Department of Defense Armed Forces Entertainment Office please visit: www.armedforcesentertainment.com
Join us at American300 by going to: www.American300.org
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Embassy Rolls Out Red Carpet For Ranger Heroes |
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Embassy of the United States of America in the Kyrgyz Republic - Marines and US Army Special Operators shaking hands and swapping stories, not in the dirt, but on a highly polished marble floor of our Embassy here.
As well over 350,000 American Troops, Contractors and Coalition Force members move either to or from Afghanistan through Transit Station at Manas (TSM) every year. The US Embassy, located around an hour away conducts business of a different nature, from supporting American visitors, students and businesses to helping create development opportunities, humanitarian efforts simple put the Embassy and it’s staff is working on many fronts to assist many. 
Like all US Embassy’s around the world the lead security force members are Marines. Today they had some brothers in arms come through their gates, something that doesn’t happen very often during their deployment.
“US Embassy here in Bishkek, is America’s liaison to the entire country of Kyrgyzstan. With Russia to the north and China to the east, you might think twice about moving your family here to do the job asked of you as an Embassy employee... rest assured the American citizens living and working in Bishkek, sleep well at night knowing the USMC is standing guard, Semper Fi” said Keni Thomas a member of the Armed Forces Entertainment RANGER Tour, featuring veterans of the Special Operations US Army Rangers units of years past.
“Vigilant and highly professional...guardians of the GATE” were the soft words spoken by Mad Max Mullen another member of the team along with Charlie Manas and Danny McKnight “...these men optimize unselfish sacrifice, both here in Kyrgyzstan and around the World.”
“This has been fantastic, we all have watched Black Hawk Down, getting to meet Danny ( Col. McKnight) and Keni (Thomas) along with Max (Mullen) and Charlie (Manis) was great” said a Embassy Staffer, adding “We don’t get a lot of visitors from Manas out here... I know it really has meant a lot to our Marines especially.”
 The nonprofit that was responsible for organizing the Ranger Tour for our DoD Armed Forces Entertainment office has been working with both the base and embassy staff to provide more opportunities in the years to come, “back in May I was here with professional Cowboys and Cowgirls... riding horses with the future Olympic Equistrian athletes of this country at their Olympic Training Center, it was fantastic... we can’t wait to develop more resiliency building opportunities that can effect positive growth both on the base... and throughout the community.” said Robi Powers, managing director of the all volunteer nonprofit American300.
With the sun closing in on the rugged 20,000 foot mountain peaks to the west it was time for the Rangers to load up and roll back to Manas. Once final handshakes and salutes were given.... the Rangers rolled out..... “Sir, those Marines are outstanding young men... what an honor to have met them on this tour... “ whispered Max Mullen into Danny McKnight’s ear... an ear that he had spoken into on battle fields of past conflicts, an ear that had withstood the thunderous sounds of war... from a mouth that once again quietly voiced the words... ‘Vigilant Guardians of the Gate - Marines.’
The Tour Continues......
Follow the tour at: www.American300.org
Learn more about Armed Forces Entertainment at: www.armedforcesentertainment.com
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RANGERS Lead the Way For RESILIENCY |
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Kyrgyzstan - Decorated combat veterans have descended upon the mountain sierras of northern Kyrgyzstan sharing stories ranging from the jungles of Vietnam, Island of Granada, Canal and Runways of Panama to the streets of Mogadishu.
 For the first time ever the Department of Defense Armed Forces Entertainment Office has turned four hardcore special operations soldiers loose... not with rifles and knives, but instead Books, Sharpies and Stories.
“Get outta here ... that’s Col Danny McKnight... from the battle of Mogadishu (Black Hawk Down) standing over there...” says a young US Marine waiting in the chow hall line to another of his battle buddies who like him have just returned from Afghanistan and are at Manas for a few days, while awaiting a transport flight back to the United States... and Home.
American300 Warrior Tours, a nonprofit troop support organization that volunteers for the DoD’s Armed Forces Entertainment shop developed the ‘RANGER Profiles in Extreme Courage Tour’ as the first of a series of troop resiliency tours, featuring distinguished combat veterans... heroes. (Plans are underway to create similar tours with our Navy, Marine, Coast Guard and Air Force branches of service)
While not a single one of the hardened combat veterans involved with this first ever effort think of themselves personally as a heroes, the deployed troops that they are meeting and spending time with this week throughout the middle east certainly do. “What these veteran patriots are doing, in coming to this base and others, sharing their stories of past and present is having a profoundly positive impact on our troops.” said LTC Richard Roberts, commander EFSS of the 376th AEW Transit Station Manas. “I know they’re stoked to get ‘downrange’ (combat zone) and the Air Force is proud to be taking them there”
Mad Max Mullen, one of the four RANGER’S on Tour is quick to point out that while he served for over 26 years and got deployed and fought in Operation Urgent Fury (Granada) it’s... “nothing compared to what today’s service members are going through, I’ve meet so many young studs that have been in deployment cycles ever since they turned 18 and joined.” Mullen, points out “ so many of these warriors don’t know as adults what it’s like to live in a time of peace... they’ve never experienced it, but they’re still charging hard and I’m honored to be meeting so many of them.”
From guard tower to guard tower, tool box to tool box the RANGERS have been moving around this Air Base over the past several days. “We’re ‘zero timing it’” says volunteer tour leader and former mountain infantrymen Robi Powers of American300, who leads over 10 tours a year for the DoD. “We believe in Slowing it Down for Resiliency... give these RANGERS and others who we bring over an opportunity to really connect with as many troops as possible, but in a way that is face to face... there’s as little ‘grip and go’ (quick hand shake a never see the person again) happen on our tours as possible. Sure it happens, but our mission is to connect, share... really allow these special visitors we bring over through Armed Forces Entertainment the time to make a bound with today’s warriors.”
Slowing it down and seeking out the behind the scenes service members has become a tradition and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for American300 “When we send Robi out with a tour we let it be known that his people like to engage with troops 20+ hours a day, that they’ll sleep in bunkers, on the floor, stay up all night long if necessary... basically do whatever it takes to seek out the hard to find, behind the scenes service members at our most remote and hardship areas of deployment around the World” says Colonel Kathleen Weatherspoon, Chief of Armed Forces Entertainment which is headquartered at Andrews Air Force Base.
“Back in ‘the day’ I LRP’d (long range patrol), we got dropped behind enemy lines in Vietnam and set up ambushes, patrolled, performed reconnaissance.... now 40+ years later, American300 has us ‘behind the scenes’ and I love it” says Charlie Manas, who served with the 151st Delta Company RANGERS referring to all the troops that he’s spent time with in guard shacks, maintenance areas, EOD and K9 shops transit administrators to name a few.
“Two nights ago we showed Black Hawk Down the movie, Keni (Thomas) and I provided narration to a theater packed with troops... followed by 3 hours of question and answers” said Danny McKnight, Col ret Ranger Battalion Commander, adding “we got done at the movie theater around 0220... then went straight over to a Joint Service Shop that runs 24 hours a day and spent an hour meeting with Army, Marine and Air Force personnel... Robi told me we’d be running and gunning 20+ hours a day and he wasn’t joking... best part is that all of us wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Follow the Tour on FACEBOOK at: American300 Warrior Tours
Learn more about American300 at: www.American300.org
For more information on the Department of Defense Armed Forces Entertainment Office visit them at: www.armedforcesentertainment.com
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Rangers Go Where Eagles Dare |
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 LTC Richard Roberts, Commander of the 376 EFSS looks across a nearly 14,000 foot long runway, it’s mid morning here at Transit Station Manas, Kyrgyzstan. Military and commercial airlines have been landing and taking off on the hour, throughout the morning. The operational tempo of the flight line that USAF 376 EAW/SE team members oversee is a mix of military precision and five ring circus act. Military and commercial aircraft come and go in a choreographed production that requires constant hyper vigilance “ I can tell you that we’ve never had one of our Air Traffic Controllers fall asleep on the job.” says Roberts, whose team of US Air Force Services Team Members are serving as hosts for the 376th AEW to the first ever Armed Forces Entertainment RANGERS Tour “We’ve got the warplanes and commercial airlines covered and coordinated, what we can’t control from the ‘Tower’ are the other birds that call this place home” referring to the population of resident and transient native crows and other species.
Stephen Farrell, a wor ker with Phoenix Bird Services based in the United Kingdom is a soft spoken predator bird expert charged with assisting the Transit Center with repelling the various species of feathered friends in a manner that is both effective and resilient. “ You can drive down this runway with a scatter gun, scaring the birds away on the hour -every hour, but they’ll be right back” says Farrell, “ To keep the birds away, we use predator birds, which we’ve found to be the absolute most effective.”
With a day full or behind the scenes US Armed Forces Member Troop visits, the pure beauty of ‘Jet’ a magnificent young hawk wasn’t lost on seasoned combat veteran Max Mullen, “ What this single bird does to protect the billions of dollars of aircraft and priceless value of our Troops that fly in and out of here is just amazing”
 Farrell’s young hawk ‘Jet’ receives clearance to take off on soaring missions from the very Air Traffic Control Tower that releases thousands of jet fueled birds into the air every year, airplanes that carry in so many cases priceless cargo in the form us US Armed Forces Members.
In the high stakes high tech world of counter terrorism fighting the sight of ‘Jet’ soaring around TSM conjures up thoughts of Castles and Falconers performing for kings. “Stephen had Jet swoop down and land right on my hand, now that’s cool, I’ve never been that close to a Hawk before.” said Charlie Manis, a decorated RANGER Company member of the Armed Forces Entertainment Team “I’ve been flying military air and commercial airliners for years... I never knew this type of program existed, it’s an honor to add ‘Jet the Hawk’ to the long list of behind the scenes service members, who protect, fight and serve our nation every day”.
The Tour Continues...
To Follow The Tour on FACEBOOK please click here ( www.facebook.com/thewarriortours ) ‘ American300 Warrior Tours ‘
To learn more about the DoD office Armed Forces Entertainment click HERE (embed afe link)
For more information on American300 go to: www.American300.org
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 Bishkek Kyrgyzstan - Armed Forces Entertainment, the Department of Defense office in charge of helping to motivate our troops deployed around the world is no stranger to sending Americans to far off places.... on any given year they organize over 1,100 troop performances... from comedians to cheerleaders and other special guests.
From A list celebrities in Film, Music and Television to Comedians and Cheerleaders, Professional and Olympic Athletes... our Troops are meeting special guests nearly everyday of the year... somewhere in the World.
With a history of producing Troop Tours that spans decades, it's hard to imagine Armed Forces Entertainment reaching into a magical bag and pulling out a new group of Americans that has yet to be exposed to deployed service members, but that is exactly what they've done with the help of a small nonprofit today in the northern mountains of Kyrgyzstan.
Instead of Cheerleaders and Comedians (tremendously popular with our troops) Veterans from the same unit were sent to meet, greet and spend time talking and sharing with today's hero warriors. Who are they?
The answer lies in this particular US Armed Forces units Motto - " RANGERS Lead The Way".
Not only are the Army RANGER war veterans all from the same overall unit, but they span 4+ decades of service, something that wasn't lost on behind the scenes organizers American300.
"Our goal is to present to Armed Forces Entertainment a series of tours that feature unique warriors from special units throughout the entire DoD" says Jesse Stewart, a combat decorated US Army Major and founder of American300 "My friend Jeff Struecker (US Army Major ret) helped us put these men together along with the Indiana National Guard, our only regret is that due to work conflicts Jeff couldn't join Robi Powers and the RANGERS on this Tour."
From the jungle regions of Saigon to the sands of Somalia, US Army RANGERS Charlie Manis, Keni Thomas, Max Mullen and Danny McKnight have teamed up to share their own personal stories of duty, sacrifice and honor with today's warriors. They like all American300 Tour participants have come to Kyrgyzstan as volunteers to help the DoD raise resiliency... let our Troops, their Families, Friends and Employers know just how important our Troops are to the long term success and prosperity of America.
 "We spent the day visiting small behind the scenes units and had a fantastic time... when we showed up at the group function tonight... and it was standing room only I knew we as a team of RANGER Veterans had found ourselves in the right place at the right time... it was time to Lead The Way! " said Danny McKnight (Col retired) "I can't wait to see who the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing matches us up with tomorrow."
"Every time we come here the 376th rolls out the red carpet and puts together an amazing program of troop interaction" said Powers, founder of American300 Warrior Tours "We had standing room only in the back tonight for a simple meet and greet... tomorrow we've got McKnight and Thomas providing narration to the motion picture film 'Black Hawk Down'... a depiction of the Battle of Mogadishu that both of them where a part of... I'm thinking we might have to do it in two seating's" he added with a smile as big as the towering 20,000 foot peaks that surround this base.
 It was RANGER turned Country Music Star, Keni Thomas, half a world away from his home state of Tennessee who helped wrap up the get together by grabbing his guitar and singing from his heart while troops cheered from their seats... Many on their way home... many on their way into battle. "This is awesome... just wish these guys could have visited us while we were deployed downrange." said a 10th Mountain Division Staff Sargent, who is headed home in a few days after 11 months deployed in Afghanistan "We were in a small forward operating base the entire tour... didn't have any visitors- better late then never is what I say."
Better late the never...
It's never too late to say Thanks to a Service Member and their Family...
Thanks for following!
The Tour Continues....
For more information on the Department of Defense office Armed Forces Entertainment, please click HERE
For more information on the Tour please visit: www.AMERICAN300.org
Visit The Tours FACEBOOKPage: American300 Warrior Tours |
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Inaugural Profiles in Courage Tour |
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Washington D.C. - The stage is set for the first ever Armed Forces Entertainment 'Profiles in Courage Tour'. Following the motto of our U.S. Army RANGERS (RANGERS Lead The Way) American300 Warrior Tours, the nonprofit tasked with developing the program for our DoD has compiled the fir st team of American Heroes from 'Saigon to Somalia' (Black Hawk Down) and beyond.
Like all American300 Resiliency Tours the goal will be to place these special Guests/Warrior Heroes with our deployed troops in hardship, remote and in the case of this tour combat areas of operation. (Undisclosed)
Days will be spent seeking out troops in hard to find places, putting our guests in face to face one on one situations... and letting them share, get to know each other. Our motto of 'Slow - Resiliency At Work' will continue to be the theme. We will once again work with an outstanding group of on the ground DoD Liaisons to seek out troops who typically miss out on Morale, Welfare and Entertainment Programming.
With days that are anticipated to run 18+ hours, we're honored to have our warrior RANGER Hero and now Country Music Star Keni Thomas bringing along one of his Acoustic Guitars... for some evening musical fun from time to time.
More to come so stay tuned. In the mean time make sure and join us on FACEBOOK , surf around our special hero guest's websites.
Very special thanks go out to one of Ameican300's original supporters UNDER ARMOUR for coming on board to provide the Official Tour Team Uniforming and Special Gifts for our Troops.
For more information on Armed Forces Entertainment please click HERE
For more information on American300 Warrior Tours and American300 Foundations work please click HERE |
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