Comedians Stop at Camp Speicher

Defend America News ^ | Spc. Cassandra Groce

[SandRat]

Comedians Stop at Camp Speicher
101st Airborne Division soldiers enjoy two-hour show.
By U.S. Army Spc. Cassandra Groce 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment TIKRIT, Iraq, July 31, 2006 -- When soldiers walk around with pistols attached to lanyards, they see a practical piece of equipment. For others though it is a comedic opportunity. “Is that a phone cord attached to your pistol? I mean, are you outside the wire in a firefight saying ‘Wait a minute, I lost signal,” asks stand-up comedian Dave Mishevitz. Mishevitz was one of five comedians to entertain 101st Airborne Division troops on the Comics on Duty World Tour. Included in the tour were Chris Alpine, James P. Connolly, Tom Foss, Reno Collier and Mishevitz. “Comedians use the freedom of speech more than anyone else, so the people who defend that - we are willing to come out and entertain them anytime,” said Foss. Foss has been an XM radio and Bob and Tom Show regular. He is also said to have the highest “Laughs Per Minute” rate in the business. Comedians ate dinner with soldiers and then gave a two-hour show complete with lots of stress-relieving laughs for the troops. “I have buddies that are over here right now…and I have a military family,” said Collier about why he came to Iraq. “I think we get more out of this than the people who come to our shows. We never get to do anything that is giving back to the community.” Collier is a frequent of Comedy Central as well as the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. The comedians signed autographs and posed for pictures with the soldiers. This group of comedians has come to the Middle East before in support of the troops. Alpine has been to Iraq five times	Comedian James P. Connolly hands a patch and autograph to a soldier who attended the Comics on Duty World Tour show at Contingency Operating Base Speicher in Tikrit, Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Cassandra Groce since the war began Alpine boasts an impressive resume with appearances on HBO, MTV and Comedy Central. Connolly has been on HBO, Comedy Central, VH1 and has regular airplay on XM radio. Connolly is a retired Marine and served a deployment during his career. Mishevitz, a contributing writer for the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, has also been to Afghanistan. The comedians also toured different places in Iraq and got to see hospitals and schools in country.  “It’s nice to have a different viewpoint than the sound byte you have on CNN every night,” explained Mishevitz. “They are doing a lot of rebuilding too. To come out here and see it first hand is incredible.”

[SandRat]

“It’s nice to have a different viewpoint than the sound byte you have on CNN every night,” explained Mishevitz. “They are doing a lot of rebuilding too. To come out here and see it first hand is incredible.”

[Quark606]

That comedian looks like he is under 35 and in relatively good physical condition. Why doesn't he take a stroll by the recruiting office and stop being so lazy?

[SandRat]

and get his S.A.G.A. membership card torn up??? < / sarc

[91B]

It's FOB Speicher.

[Thebaddog]

I'd like a list of these good American Laughologists who support our troops, so I can support them.

[SandRat]

That's what the author put down.

[91B]

Not a slam, it's just that FOB more or less indicates a forward position while the camps were all back in Kuwait (i.e. Arifjan or Doha). I've been to Speicher (and some of the other FOBs in Tikrit) several times-they are still dangerous places.

[SandRat]

No doubt in my mind about that.