Courtesy Photo | Soldiers from the Fort Knox, Ky.,-based 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry...... read more read more
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KHOWST PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Super Bowl Sunday. Few things in American culture sum up glitz, glamour and pageantry as easily as those simple words, and the Soldiers of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Task Force Duke based out of Fort Knox, Ky., proved once again that you don’t have to be in the United States to enjoy something as uniquely American as the Super Bowl.
Soldiers of TF Duke tuned into an early morning broadcast here at Forward Operating Base Salerno to watch the Green Bay Packers square off against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. Fans seemed to be split equally between the teams, with many others in attendance simply wanting to see a good game. They weren’t disappointed, as the Packers prevailed in a hard-fought 31-25 contest that went down to the wire.
The special broadcast location was made available when base officials decided to open the doors to the chow hall earlier than normal. Traditional football-watching cuisine such as hamburgers, hotdogs and chicken wings were laid out for the soldiers to enjoy. As for getting up earlier than normal to make it all happen, well, those food service employees involved didn’t seem to find it much of a bother.
“It’s exciting to get to see the troops have a good time,” said Justin Spears, administrative technician for the Fluor Corporation, which operates the dining facility where soldiers and other service members gathered for the game.
“Anything we can do to boost their morale is fine with me,” he added.
“I miss the Super Bowl commercials,” said U.S. Army Pfc. Henry Hansen, a motor transport operator with Company F, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment. He echoed a theme voiced by many in attendance, who watched the broadcast on the American Forces Network. Because AFN receives all of its programming free, it can’t show commercial advertising. As a result, none of the new commercials the American public sees unveiled during Super Bowl broadcasts were shown.
Hansen, a native of Reedsburg, Wis., and long-time Packer fan, had few other complaints, seeing how his team ended up winning.
“The only thing I would change is the time difference,” he added, noting the 10 and a half-hour time difference between the game location in Dallas and eastern Afghanistan.
The game proved exciting even from half a world away, and a few Soldiers reflected that Super Bowl Sunday isn’t just about football but a chance to get together with your friends and loved ones and enjoy a great American tradition.
“It would definitely be a family affair (at home),” said U.S. Army Spc. Brian Long, an infantryman from Muncie, Ind., assigned to Troop A, 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regt.
Still, he was grateful for the chance to tune in to an exciting Super Bowl contest between two storied National Football League franchises.
“Over here it’s just a good chance to step back, enjoy some good food and watch the game,” said Long.
| Date Taken: | 02.07.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 02.07.2011 13:42 |
| Story ID: | 64942 |
| Location: | KHOWST PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 178 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
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