Troop Morale

The New York Times has a story about a group of dancers called the Purrfect Angelz who are currently touring Iraq giving shows for the troops. (The dancers do have a website, but it appears to be stressed out right now and won't load properly).

For the Purrfect Angelz, it was a stop on a tour that also took them to bases like Al Qaim and Taji. The dancers, former cheerleaders, calendar models and aspiring actresses, have an active schedule in the United States, much of which consists of events for motorcycle riders. By design, the routines at Haditha are a bit tamer than the biker fare.

“We want to make it more about talent than being risqué,” Tanea Brooks said. “We are not going to boost every part of the morale.” Her credits include a three-year stint as a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, a role in a country music video, “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” by Trace Adkins, and a turn as quarterback for the New York Euphoria, one of the teams that established the Lingerie Football League, in which models played football dressed in underwear.

But for marines who deploy for seven months at a stretch, are forbidden to consume alcohol, have no real opportunities for social interaction with the Iraqi population and routinely travel down roads seeded by roadside bombs, the performance was exciting enough. “Servicemen are our best audience,” said Ms. Brooks, who gave her age as “21 forever.” “They are so appreciative. We love touring for them. They always get excited.”

[David Chavez, the president of Pro Sports MVP, which organized the tour, said that it was paid for by the military and that the expenses consisted of travel costs and small stipends. A Pentagon spokesman said he had no immediate information on what the tour cost or the financial arrangements.]

I'm missing Bob Hope right now. He used to bring stars out to the troops and the troops were very thankful. The USO is struggling a bit since so many high profile entertainers are not participating in USO tours. There are exceptions, however. One person who, believe it or not, deserves respect about that is Al Franken. He has toured Iraq several times and is scheduled to return later this year. His politics may be different than mine, but his heart is in the right place when it comes to the troops.