Memorial Day Troop Tour Rerouted Due to Tensions in Middle East

Marine Corps Base Hawaii (May 25, 2013) -World Champion Kaycee Feild of Payson, Utah, gives up rodeo competitions again to spend time with troops on Memorial Day.   Instead of traveling east, the two-time and current world champion cowboy is headed west this year.

“When situations forced us out of going to northern Africa this week the nonprofit we work with each year reached out to the Marines in the Pacific,” said world champion Field. “We’ve been in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past three Memorial Days; spending time with troops away from combat zones is going to be a lot more relaxing for all of us.”  

When the last minute notice came from Department of Defense (DoD) that the tour needed to be postponed, tour founder Rob Powers of American300 reached out to retired wounded warrior John Bates, USMC Col retired in the pacific for help.  

“The DoD has reschedule this tour, but I wanted to keep the Memorial Day tradition alive” said Powers, who founded the nonprofit American300 with the goal of delivering volunteer mentors to military bases around the world each month. “We’ll be spending time with the Marine Wounded Warrior Regiment West Marines and others, which will give our Cowboys an up close look at the post combat side of the fence.” 

Combat zones are something Feild, former Miss Rodeo America Maegan Ridley, Nashville artist Lucas Hoge and Jeff Chadwick, of the Wrangler Corporation know plenty about. “We’ve meet so many troops over the past three years who have lost a battle buddy and we’ve spent time with guys who ended up getting killed days later,” explains Chadwick, “For this small group of western industry icons to be afforded the opportunity to be with troops and honor our fallen on Memorial Day is very special. We’re very grateful to the Marine Corps for accepting us on such short notice.”  For more on the tour go to: www.American300.org  and www.facebook.com/thewarriortours

About American300 

To date the nonprofit American300 has engaged in troop resiliency work at over 300 bases worldwide.   The all-volunteer effort lead by Veterans is based on the simple goal of connection amazing individuals with our troops so that one on one mentoring can take place.  www.american300.org   

John Bates USMC Col. ret, World Champion Cowboy Kaycee Feild and US Army Veteran
Jump Master Lyle Stuart at the LZ on Dillingham Air Field. 

TOUR PHOTOS GO TO:  AMERICAN300 Tours  on Facebook