Hope and Freedom USO tour Entertain Troops Overseas

Four Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, country music stars Darryl Worley and Keni Thomas, as well as model/TV personality Leann Tweeden in Afganistan and Iraq spreading holiday cheer.

December 25, 2007

COUNTY NC NEWS -- The sixth annual Hope and Freedom USO tour hosted by Sargent Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston has been traveling throughout December visiting the troops. Military men and women at the remote Camp Blessing, in the eastern Kunar province were surprised on December. 21, 2007, by a visit from the Army's top enlisted soldier and several celebrities. Preston arrived in Kabul, late the day before, with four Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, country music stars Darryl Worley and Keni Thomas, as well as model and TV personality Leann Tweeden. They traveled in helicopters from Kabul to Camp Blessing. With a late morning arrival to the camp, the celebrities joined Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines at the dining facility for lunch and conversation before they performed for the troops.

The top right photo is Dara McFarlane, a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, exiting a Chinook 47 helicopter arriving at Camp Blessing.

The left photo is Laura Beke, a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, riding in the Chinook 47 helicopter, from Kabul to Camp Blessing in Kunar province, Afghanistan.

Sargent Major Preston said he has made it a point to get the show out to troops at remote locations like Camp Blessing, "Soldiers up here don't get a lot of visitors." In addition, the show took about eight months of planning, and most of the performers with this group have toured with the USO before. Preston further stated, "I've been told this is the greatest USO show in history, and nobody's told me it's not."

Most troops said they heard about the sergeant major of the Army and USO visit between a few minutes and a few hours beforehand. Some drove over from forward operating bases several miles away to Camp Blessing.

After the performances, the guests posed with the military men and women for individual and group pictures, and signed autographs as requested. Preston and the USO group left the area later that afternoon to go back to Kabul and hold their second performance of the day at Camp Phoenix.

The next day, December 22, 2007, the Hope and Freedom USO tour preformed at Camp Stryker in Iraq. The DoD has provided the following video of the event. (Click Picture or Link to Open)

County NC News would like to give special thanks to the Hope and Freedom USO tour; the four Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, country music stars, Darryl Worley and Keni Thomas, model/TV personality, Leann Tweeden, and Sargent Major Preston, for entertaining our Military men and women during the holidays. Speaking from experience, it really reminds our troops just how much they're loved. Furthermore, we would like to thank the U.S. Department of Defense for providing the video, press release transcripts, and photograph, which enables us to bring our readers this good news!