Hello Redskins Fans!

This is Klohver reporting in from Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.   The weather is warm, the sun is shining and we are PUMPED to meet the troops and put on a great show here at the Air Force Base.  Upon our arrival here last night, we visited the dining facility (DFAC) where we enjoyed a midnight breakfast with the soldiers and later headed off to our rooms in the dormitories for the night.   This morning, we awoke and met for a 9AM meet and greet at the Wing Headquarters Building.  We were ushered into a conference room where fresh fruit and hot coffee in beautiful silver pitchers and fancy china awaited us.  The Commissioner welcomed us to the base and expressed her appreciation for us being there.  We then were given the Wing Mission Brief, where we were informed of the number of troops stationed there and the different units and each unit’s mission.  At the end of the presentation, we said our goodbyes and proceeded to visit various jets at the Flightline.  The troops stationed to work there did everything from maintaining the planes, to operating GPS systems, to actually flying the jets.  It was incredible to see all of the work they do and the amount of hours each soldier works each day, with minimal time off to ensure that the United States is protected at all times.  I was thoroughly impressed by their dedication and the pride each soldier puts into his/her work.  At the conclusion of our meet and greets, the base had an emergency drill, where they sounded off alarms throughout the base, as though the base was under attack.  Each soldier was required to take cover into designated bunkers and each unit was responsible for performing a particular task.  We, thankfully, were made aware of the drill upon arriving on base, and we were excused from “playing” along.  Since all soldiers were performing the drill, our meet and greets ended early and we were allowed some personal time to get ready for our show tonight. 

We all met outside of our dorms and walked over to the show’s venue, called the Pavilion, which is an outside hang-out area, with a bar and large stage, all covered by a large tent.  The show began and we stepped on stage, received by a large-roaring crowd of Airmen, Army, Marines and Navy men and women, and I looked up and in the sky was a big-beautiful full moon.  The air was warm and there was a slight breeze in the air.  The show was great and the night seemed magical, as the troops had a blast and we equally had a blast performing for them.  After the show, we signed autographs, ate at the DFAC and returned to the Pavilion to spend more time with the soldiers. 

Although we have several additional bases to visit while on this Tour, I have already learned so much about the sacrifices and the hard work U.S. Servicemen and Women endure each day in efforts to protect our Country.  Many of them have been deployed several times to bases where they are away from their families and loved ones, in combat and in war zones, physically and mentally affected by the devastation they have encountered, harsh living conditions, extreme heat, wounds, psychological infirmities, and it makes me appreciate, even more, all that they do for the United States.  The smiles they have on their faces and the excitement they feel when we perform our show for them, allows them to forget everything that is going on in their lives and to have a great time and laugh and know that they are loved and appreciated.  This has been a life changing experience for me, and I am so proud and honored to be among those that so humbly serve and protect our Country.

Well, we are scheduled to travel early tomorrow morning to the neighboring state of Fujairah, U.A.E. for a show we’ll be performing there, so I’m going to pack up and go to bed, as we have another long day tomorrow.  TTYL! Good night! 

Hey Skins fans!

It’s Klohver again, and today is Sunday, January 31, 2010 and we are in Fujairah, U.A.E.  We just returned to our rooms from the show we had here tonight, and it went well.  But, first let me recap our day for you. 

We were picked up by a USO representative and instead of flying to our next destination, we drove, which was great because we were able to do a little sight-seeing of Abu Dhabi, Sharjah (another neighboring state in the U.A.E) and Fujairah.  The palaces, mosques and the wild camels that were frequently spotted grazing on the side of the interstate highways were all amazing to witness.  It was also very peculiar that each state of the U.A.E. appeared to have its own colored sand.  For instance, the sand in Abu Dhabi is whiter that the sand in Fujairah, and that continued with each state through which we drove.  Also, the country is full of mountain ranges that were beautiful and very different from the mountains we are used to seeing in the United States.  The mountains of the U.A.E. were dark brown and very rocky, almost like large piles of dirt.  The interstate on which we traveled cut right through the mountain ranges, and they were so close to us, it was as if you could reach your hand outside of your window to touch them.  Simply beautiful!   After about a three hour drive, we arrived at our hotel in Fujairah, checked in and walked to a nearby restaurant where we enjoyed authentic Middle Eastern cuisine.  After we finished our lunch, we returned to our hotel and prepared for our show.  At first, it appeared as if we wouldn’t have a large crowd for this show, as it was in a hotel ballroom, instead of on a military base, like our other shows, but as show time drew nearer, more and more soldiers arrived, and the show turned out to be a success.  After the conclusion of the show, we ate dinner in the ballroom with the soldiers in attendance, signed autographs and took pictures.  

Tomorrow, we are leaving early in the morning to travel to Dubai, U.A.E.  We are unsure of whether we will have a show at our next destination, as there may be a ship in port, and in such case, we will have a show on the ship, otherwise we may have a day off to sight-see the state of Dubai.  So, will we have an amazing show on a large ship and get to meet Navy men and women stationed in Dubai, or will we travel downtown to see the tallest building in the world?  You’ll have to stay tuned to see where the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders will end up tomorrow on our Military Appreciation Tour of Southwest Asia!

Good Night!