Any Given Sunday... two stories of never quitting

U.S. Bases Europe -   Armed Forces Entertainment presents ‘Any Given Sunday’ which will travel throughout England, Kosovo and Germany at the end of January and early February - 2016. 

For US Army Reserve Warrant Officer Jennifer Housholder, facing life and death is just part of the job description.  It’s the type of baggage that comes with being a UH60 helicopter pilot flying missions in the Middle East.   But on one Sunday in particular, Jen, like far too many members of our Armed Forces, was facing a complex enemy that no one really wants to talk about. 

Her Enemy - Suicide 

As a little girl Jen was exposed to abuse.  The kind that for most only resides in nightmares.  Similar to most children, Jen compartmentalized the trauma and moved on in life.  Never realizing the debilitating and destructive force that memories can become. 

“All I knew was that by ending my life the pain would go away... and the pain needed to  stop, it had consumed me,” says Jennifer aka ‘Hous’ as she is fondly referred to by friends and fans of her musical group ‘Hous Band’, she adds, “that Sunday eight years ago, sitting in my room in the middle east was the darkest moment of my life.” 

In the end she didn’t go through with the act, despite the hand written farewell note and means with which to accomplish the task. “At the last moment I pulled back and found sanity in the form of reflection on three fundamental resiliency blocks that I didn't’ even realize I possessed: hope instilled by my mother, faith in God and a bond with my fellow soldiers, who I knew I’d be letting down if I took the selfish way out.” 

Today Hous is a US Army and Air Force Master Resiliency Trainer and continues serve in the Reserves on weekends while working full time for the Air Force as a flight test engineer at Edwards Air Force Base.   During her free time she’s the lead singer along with friends in ‘Hous Band’ a group she started nearly a decade ago. 

 For Bear Pascoe, Sunday’s have ultimately provided his family with a source of income his entire adult life.  From the moment he entered the NFL draft and was picked up by the NY Giants, to his seasons after winning a Super Bowl Ring, Sunday’s have been the ultimate test of worth and job security. 

For big name players the pre-season is mostly just a warmup, but for Bear and the majority of NFL players, both young and old, each pre-season game could be their last.  

Every day, every practice and every play is a go no go test.  An opportunity to shine or disappear.  Understanding the workings of the NFL 53 man roster selection process is so complicated it takes a near college degree in the ‘NFL Cut Down’ process to understand it. 

“You have to choose what type of player you’re going to be,” says Pascoe, who grew up on a ranch wearing cowboy boots far more then athletic footwear growing up, he adds, “I always believed in modeling my play both on and off the field after the best, those who we all look up to as the true champions of sport, the players we want our kids to emulate.” 

I get paid to play football, but football doesn’t define me 

as a husband and member of my community 

Both Jen and Bear are members of an all volunteer nonprofit effort called ‘American300’ which supports the Department of Defenses Total Force Fitness program.  Joining the two on this pre-Super Bowl 50 tour are former Fresno State College strength and conditioning coach Andy Bennett, who trained Bear during his college years and Hous Band member Alex McKee, who works alongside Housholder as a test engineer at Edwards Air Force Base in California. 

“This is a great group of people that Service Members and their families are going to love to meet and get to know,” says Gretchen Powers, who will be leading the tour throughout Europe alongside Armed Forces Entertainment manager George Degrella, adding, “ it’s a tour that’s going to feature two very different stories of never quitting on Sunday’s, filled with NFL workouts and just plan awesome music in the workspaces.” 

For more information follow the tour on facebook:  ‘American300 Tours’  or visit the nonprofit on line at:  www.American300.org   No federal endorsement of sponsors or organizations is implied or intended - American300.org 

Armed Forces Entertainment is an office of the Department of Defense.  Visit this DoD Office at:  www.armedforcesentertainment.com