Rising Sun - HEAVY Duty

Kure, Japan - The Armed Forces Entertainment HEAVY Medal III Team has arrived here in this small seaport town to spend time with a very special group of US Army Service Members. " We haven't had anyone visit us in at least 6 months so you guys coming is like Christmas in May for our Soldiers" said David Ricks, Kure Lodging and Club Manager to the Akizuki/83rd Ordinance Battalion - U.S. Army. " There are less then 60 US Army Soldiers Stationed here and with the relief effort we've ben tasked to, half the base is up north on any given monday... we are all so pumped to spend time with you all, thanks for coming " he added.

Arriving in Japan today had different meanings for several of the HEAVY Medal Tour members. For Mike Lane it was the first time back since having been born here over 40 years ago. While Caroline Lalive and Robi Powers spent time in conversation talking about the 1998 Nagano Olympics, which was the last time either of them were in this land of the rising sun.

The Team will set off early in the morning to meet everyone on this remote base....and in the end hopefully create connections and establish unique one on one friendships. "American300 Warrior Tours is all about going where others won't." says Powers adding " Armed Forces Entertainment's Chief; LTC Weatherspoon has been a great supporter of our desire to put these unique motivational tours in with troops who are hardship deployed around the World."

Follow the tour at:

American300 Warrior Tours FACEBOOK

and

American300 Foundation

HEAVY Medal Tour III Wheels UP!

With snow still falling over much of the Rocky Mountains and ski boots just recently put away, Armed Forces Entertainment’s HEAVY Medal III is wheels up as it heads out on a Pacific adventure to salute troops and their families in Guam and Japan with United States Olympians Kaylin Richardson, Caroline Lalive, Sean Colgan and Nelson Carmichael.

The four U.S. Olympians are heading to the region for a salute and thank-you to U.S. Armed Forces for their dedication and service to our country. The tour, which is being organized in conjunction with Armed Forces Entertainment and American300 Warrior Tours, will feature fun and interactive stops at U.S. Military bases that offer the opportunity to meet these international athletes, share stories and allow them to say thank you for defending the colors they wore.

"Whenever we can add a fun 'downtime' activity to one of our tours it leads to a more successful mission," says Rob Powers, founder of American300 Warrior Tours, the nonprofit organization that has worked to bring HEAVY Medal Tours to Armed Forces Entertainment. "Our organizational mission is to increase the resiliency of our troops, their families and the communities that they live and operate in, by assisting the DoD's Armed Forces Entertainment department with unique and exciting programming. HEAVY Medal Tours are all about bringing America's best to our service men and women and having a great time."

In addition to meeting these incredible American athletes, troops and their families will get an up close look at two-time Olympian Nelson Carmichael’s Olympic Bronze medal from Freestyle skiing; Sean Colgan’s Congressional Olympic Team medal; Olympic items from Caroline Lalive and Kaylin Richardson as well as HEAVY Medal tour memorabilia.

Tour officials will provide updates during HEAVY Medal III as America’s athletes honor America’s heroes on this military adventure. Follow the tour at the following locations:

American300 Warrior Tours

Armed Forces Entertainment

Don’t miss out on any of the action from HEAVY Medal III.

America’s Top Running Events Salute Troops with Middle East Tour
7 Races, over 7 Days, at 7 Bases

Steamboat Springs, CO, June 29, 2009 - On July 6th The Warrior Tours: America's Races Salutes the Troops heads to the Middle East to support the troops in the semi-annual Armed Forces Physical Fitness Test. Over the course of seven days the tour will conduct seven races at seven US military bases. Special guests will provide additional support and encouragement to the troops including NASA astronaut Sandra Magnus, Olympic marathon gold medalist Frank Shorter, and and Runner's World Magazine's Chief Running Officer Bart Yasso.

“Our troops work so hard defending our freedom and this is just a small way for us thank them and support them in their annual testing,” said Rob Powers, founder of The Warrior Tours, and co-host of America’s Races Salutes the Troops. “We are blowing out these semi-annual tests, which are generally done with little fanfare, into full scale world class race events.”

Over thirty of the top running events in the United States have teamed up with The Warrior Tours and have donated race shirts, medals and other race supplies to be distributed at the events. At each stop the troops will be treated to a world class running event with evening entertainment by 2009 Armed Forces Entertainers of the year Catchpenny, professional announcing, and digital tag timing.

NASA astronaut Sandra Magnus, of Belleville, IL, was a flight engineer on Expedition 18 and spent 128 days on the International Space Station before returning to Earth on March 28 of this year. Her father was an Army veteran and she has several cousins who have served over seas with the National Guard.

Shorter, whose father was an Army doctor, was born on a US Army base in Germany. In 1972 Shorter returned to his birth country and won the gold medal in the marathon event at the Munich Olympic Games.

Rounding out the special guests on the tour are Yasso and Anne Bonney. Yasso is the Chief Running Officer at Runner’s World Magazine and author of My Life on the Run. Bonney is UnderArmour’s Senior Manager of RUN.

Races participating in the America’s Races Salute the Troops include The Marine Corps Marathon, 500 Festival Indianapolis Mini Marathon, Bass Pro Shops Fitness Festival, 131 Atlanta, 131 Chicago, 131 Ft. Lauderdale, 131 Miami, Anchorage Running Club’s Big Wildlife Runs, Chicago Half Marathon, Cleveland Marathon, Denver Marathon, Fargo Marathon, ING Georgia Marathon, ING Miami Marathon, Marin County Marathon, MSBlues Marathon, D.C. National Marathon, Omaha Marathon, Philadelphia Marathon, Pittsburgh Marathon, Portland Marathon, Steamboat Springs Marathon, Melbourne Beaches Marathon, The San Francisco Marathon, Twin Cities Marathon, Vermont City Marathon, Wine Country Half Marathons, The Baltimore Running Festival, The Frederick Running Festival, The Lehigh Valley Half Marathon, and Rock’n’Roll Marathons.

During the tour images, videos, and updates will be posted on The Warrior Tours web site and through its Facebook page and Twitter account.

About The Warrior Tours
The Warrior Tours, a pending 501(C)(3) nonprofit, connects the men and women of the US Armed Forces with the American people through physical fitness by teaming up stateside events with The Warrior Tours events at US military bases worldwide. While supporting the troops in their fitness programs The Warrior Tours connects US service men and women with their friends and families through video, text, and images that are posted on The Warrior Tours website and broadcast at domestic sporting events. More information at http://www.thewarriortours.com

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