NBA dance team entertains, shows appreciation for troops (Tikrit)
Thursday, 12 June 2008 Multi-National Corps – Iraq Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory APO AE 09342 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE RELEASE No. 20080613-02 June 13, 2008 NBA dance team entertains, shows appreciation for troops Multi-National Division – North PAO TIKRIT, Iraq – The Seattle SuperSonics Dance Team visited troops deployed to Contingency Operating Base Speicher, located in Tikrit, Iraq, June 11. The dance team wanted to show their appreciation for the military and decided to partake in their own deployment experiences. “My passion is dancing and performing,” said Pilita, a first-year dance team member. “This is the least I could do for the Soldiers. It’s a privilege to be here. I’ve learned a lot.” Not only has this experience been good for the troops, but the dancers have benefited as well in the short amount of time they have spent at COB Speicher. “Every day, this place and the Soldiers, everyone, has exceeded the expectations that I had,” explained Jillian, one of the Sonics dancers. “I have learned so much [more] by talking with a Soldier for one minute than when I listened to news stations or radio stations.” The dance team motivated the crowd and invited several servicemembers to participate in dance challenges and games in-between dance routines. “This is fun,” said Airman 1st Class Alana Fowler, a security forces patrol officer, “You sort of wake up in the same place, doing the same thing every day. It’s good to see something besides everyone in uniforms, military uniforms. It’s different, and it breaks up the daily routine.” Many dance team members agreed this experience taught them many things about life in general and about why there is still a military presence in Iraq. “Everything that we see in the United States and everything we learn is completely opposite,” said Sabrina, the dance team coach. “It’s the stories that we see through the eyes of the Soldiers. Seeing how things are done from day to day to seeing how they are actually working with the country to build it up and working with their Soldiers. We never hear those things and so, for us, it’s just been a really growing experience.” “We don’t want to forget any moment, it’s overwhelming really,” said Sabrina. “I feel like a new person.” -30-
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