The NFL-USO Coaches Tour reconvenes this summer with four men who head up NFL franchises heading to the Persian Gulf for a visit with our troops.
This year, Vikings coach Brad Childress, Eagles coach Andy Reid, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, and Panthers coach John Fox will make the trip.
Childress has a child in the military, and Fox’s father served in the Navy Seals.
“Since my son has enlisted in the Marine Corps, I have learned a new appreciation for the freedoms we all enjoy and take for granted,” Childress said in a release issued by the league. “Our armed forces are the most highly-skilled, best-trained men and women in the world. Their character is on display on a daily basis because they’re an all-volunteer force. We all owe them a debt of gratitude and this trip is a small way of saying thank you.”
The NFL has sent players and coaches to boost troop morale for more than 40 years. In 2008, Commissioner Roger Goodell joined players on a USO trip to Iraq and Afghanistan.
For some reason, the thought of any of the other Commissioners doing the same thing brings to mind visions of Mike Dukakis driving a tank.