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Drew Carey Leads Comic Tour of Afghanistan
American Forces Press Service ^ | Aug 25, 2005 | John D. Banusiewicz

Posted on 08/25/2005 4:21:37 PM PDT by SandRat

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Aug. 25, 2005 – After spending most of the last 24 hours meeting airmen at an air base in Southwest Asia, a group of comedians led by television star Drew Carey arrived here early today to entertain the troops. Along with Carey, comedians Dave Mordal, Jimmy Shubert, Steve Byrne and Pedro Hernandez are on the tour.

On a whirlwind day Aug. 24, the comics met, signed autographs for and posed for pictures with hundreds of airmen assigned to the Air Force's 379th Expeditionary Wing before boarding a C-130 transport for the five-hour flight to Bagram.

Today, the comics are scheduled to perform at Methar, Jalalabad and Asadabad forward operating bases in Afghanistan before returning for a performance at Bagram's "clam shell" on Aug. 26.

The tour is the first partnership between Defense Department's Armed Forces Entertainment and DoD's America Supports You program. It's a way to bring the America Supports You message directly to the troops, said Brian Natwick of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, which oversees the ASY program.

America Supports You showcases the efforts of everyone from ordinary citizens to powerful corporations in supporting the nation's men and women serving in the global war on terror, Natwick said, and it's important that people in uniform know about that support.

"So entering a partnership with Armed Forces Entertainment is natural for us," Natwick explained. "This tour, along with other things we're planning, will help us communicate to the troops how much the nation values their service," he said.

Armed Forces Entertainment usually works in concert with the United Service Organizations in bringing big-name entertainment to troops overseas, explained Marine Capt. Jesse Davidson, AFE's Southwest Asia circuit manager. But AFE also works on its own to provide a steady stream of both famous and lesser-known, but talented, performers to the nation's armed forces and their families living outside the United States.

"We've had everything from Frisbee-catching dogs to magicians to jazz bands," Davidson said.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; americasupportsyou; bagramairbase; comedy; comictour; drewcarey; leads; oef; supportourtroops; uso
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To: Petronski


21 posted on 08/25/2005 4:35:16 PM PDT by rdb3 ("That which has happened is a warning. To forget it is guilt..." --Karl Jaspers)
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To: rdb3

Dude!

22 posted on 08/25/2005 4:36:18 PM PDT by Petronski (I love Cyborg.)
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To: SandRat

F-16 crew chief Staff Sgt. Andy Adducchio briefs Drew Carey on his mission responsibilities. Carey and a team of fellow comedians traveled to the Southwest Asia theater of operations to entertain forward-deployed troops Aug 24. Adducchio is a member of the 180th Aircraft Maintenance Unit deployed from the 178th Fighter Wing, Springfield Ohio Air National Guard. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Randy Mallard, USAF

23 posted on 08/25/2005 4:38:04 PM PDT by zlala ("History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or timid." -Dwight D. Eisenhower)
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To: SandRat

Drew Carey? The guy who looks like a pear with a rubber band when he wears thong underwear? Wouldn't be funny except he tells it on himself.

Go, Drew and guys! (If there are any women on the tour, I am an equal opportunity guy-caller.)


24 posted on 08/25/2005 4:38:21 PM PDT by righttackle44 (The most dangerous weapon in the world is a Marine with his rifle and the American people behind him)
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To: atomicpossum
Drew Carey, former Marine

Image Hosted by ImageShack.us

25 posted on 08/25/2005 4:41:04 PM PDT by anonymous_user (You gotta be passionate about something. I guess.)
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To: My2Cents
The cliche is that there are no ex-Marines but that's an urban legend:

John Glenn, Brian Dennehy, Ron Kovic, Ron Dellums, Clayton Lonetree, Lee Harvey Oswald, James Carville and Mark Shields are but a few who have earned the title ex-Marine.

26 posted on 08/25/2005 4:42:14 PM PDT by A.A. Cunningham
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To: anonymous_user

Wow.... Who knew he was so good lookin.


27 posted on 08/25/2005 4:45:43 PM PDT by zlala ("History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or timid." -Dwight D. Eisenhower)
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To: IndyTiger

June 1975
James Ford Rhodes High School

28 posted on 08/25/2005 4:53:26 PM PDT by Stand Watch Listen
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Carey has been visiting those deployed in OEF and OIF since the get go.

Drew Carey pays visit, tribute to I MEF
Submitted by: I Marine Expeditionary Force
Story Identification #: 20031184646
Story by Cpl. Colin Wyers

CAMP COMMANDO, Kuwait (Dec. 23, 2002) -- Comedian Drew Carey visited the Marines, sailors and soldiers of the I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) at Camp Commando, Kuwait Dec. 23.

Carey, star of "The Drew Carey Show" and host of "Who's Line Is It, Anyway," signed autographs and posed for photographs with the troop on the tenth stop of a tour put on by the United Service Organizations and Armed Forces Entertainment.

"It's all I could do," said Carey. "I used to be a Marine, and when this war started, I wanted to do something."

What he did was bring a taste of home with him, according to some of the Marines who had a chance to have a picture taken with Carey.

"I think it was refreshing to see a celebrity take time out of his schedule over the holidays to come see Marines overseas," said Maj. David Greenlees, 32, from San Diego. "Being a Marine, Drew probably knew what it meant to be visited by folks that they're familiar with back home."

Carey's past as a Marine has also helped him in his career as a comedian.

"Being a Marine taught me how to work hard and not bitch," said Carey, "and how to make the best out of every situation."


Lance Cpl. Matthew Darling, 19, from Oakland, Calif., poses for a photo with Drew Carey, host of Whose Line Is It Anyways, Dec. 23 at Camp Commando, Kuwait.
Photo by: Sgt. Colin Wyers


Lt. Gen. James T. Conway, I Marine Expeditionary Force commanding general, shares jokes with Drew Carey, host of Whose Line Is It Anyway, Dec. 23 at Camp Commando, Kuwait.
Photo by: Sgt. Colin Wyers


Cpl. Joey Irle, 21, from Washington, D.C., and Drew Carey, host of Whose Line Is It Anyway, sit in a .50 caliber machine gun mount on a Humvee Dec. 23 at Camp Commando, Kuwait.
Photo by: Sgt. Colin Wyers

29 posted on 08/25/2005 4:59:39 PM PDT by A.A. Cunningham
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To: SandRat

Kudos to Carey.


30 posted on 08/25/2005 5:07:44 PM PDT by NonValueAdded ("Freedom of speech makes it much easier to spot the idiots." [Jay Lessig, 2/7/2005])
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To: atomicpossum

I thought he was a sniper in Vietnam like John Denver and
Fred Rogers.


31 posted on 08/25/2005 5:17:03 PM PDT by Rakkasan1 (DON'T BICKER, DRINK LIQUOR-DON'T THINK, JUST DRINK.)
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To: SandRat

Thanks Drew!!!


32 posted on 08/25/2005 5:24:10 PM PDT by herewego (Got .45?)
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To: SandRat

Well, he doesn't make a very good Pin-up.
33 posted on 08/25/2005 5:26:11 PM PDT by Old Seadog (Whether you're rich or poor....it's nice to have money.)
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To: Euro-American Scum

I think Drew being the Bob Hope of the 21st century is a GREAT idea! He's truly one of the best.


34 posted on 08/25/2005 5:29:36 PM PDT by proudofthesouth (Boycotting movies since 1988)
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To: My2Cents
Old Marines never die; they just go to hell and regroup.

(They also are guarding the streets of Heaven's scenes)

35 posted on 08/25/2005 5:31:27 PM PDT by DeeOhGee (Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati)
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To: Rakkasan1

LOL


36 posted on 08/25/2005 5:33:43 PM PDT by My2Cents ("The essence of American journalism is vulgarity divested of truth." -- Winston Churchill)
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To: A.A. Cunningham

Well said.


37 posted on 08/25/2005 5:35:25 PM PDT by My2Cents ("The essence of American journalism is vulgarity divested of truth." -- Winston Churchill)
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To: proudofthesouth
My admittedly second hand understanding is that the great Bob Hope told some GREAT and HIGHLY off color jokes when entertaining the troops at the front. I can only thank God for Americans like Drew.
"Dirty Jokes and Beer"- YES, highly recommended. He's the quintessential guy you'd want to have a few with at the local bar.
38 posted on 08/25/2005 5:35:29 PM PDT by RedStateRocker (Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6)
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To: A.A. Cunningham

"The cliche is that there are no ex-Marines but that's an urban legend:
John Glenn, Brian Dennehy, Ron Kovic, Ron Dellums, Clayton Lonetree, Lee Harvey Oswald, James Carville and Mark Shields are but a few who have earned the title ex-Marine."


I would add to that list former UN inspector, now child molester/Saddam loyalist, Scott Ritter.


39 posted on 08/25/2005 5:48:01 PM PDT by bethelgrad (for God, country, the Marine Corps, and now the Navy Chaplain Corps OOH RAH!)
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To: zlala

I saw a picture of him from the Marines years ago, and... well, I'm a guy, but I would guess most any woman would have tripped him and beat him to the floor.


40 posted on 08/25/2005 5:59:07 PM PDT by anonymous_user (You gotta be passionate about something. I guess.)
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