Lifestyle - All About Golf

Secretary of State Visits Servicemembers at AT&T National Tournament

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

BETHESDA, Md., July  2007 – Taking a break from Gulf diplomacy, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spent some time at Congressional Country Club here focusing on golf diplomacy.

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Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, center, poses for a photo with retired Army Staff Sgt. Dan Nevins, left, and retired Army Sgt. Michelle Saunders at the AT&T National golf tournament today. Nevins, wounded in Iraq, works as the community outreach manager for PGA Tours and Saunders, also wounded in Iraq, works for the Defense Department's Military Severely Injured Center. Defense Dept. photo by Carmen L. Gleason
  

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The secretary arrived at the 13th hole to meet with seven Army special forces soldiers and two wounded war veterans. The soldiers and veterans are representative of thousands of servicemembers honored this week during the AT&T National PGA golf tournament hosted by Tiger Woods.

Woods, whose father Earl Woods was an Army special forces soldier for 12 years, has infused the inaugural tournament, which runs July 3-8, with tributes to troops.

“This is a very special tournament for Tiger Woods and all of these great golfers, and the PGA Tour to really put together an event that honors our troops, honors their service, and honors their sacrifice,” Rice said.

As she walked the grounds here, Rice described sensing a palpable feeling of support for America’s troops. She said Americans understand that military service requires troops and families to make great sacrifices, commit to long deployments and sometimes lose comrades.

“I have not seen a person out here who has seen somebody in uniform (and let them) pass by,” she said. “They thank (servicemembers) for what they’re doing. That makes a real difference for the country, because I know that our troops know that they’re being supported, but it’s also important for the American people to have a way to show that support.”

Retired Army Sgt. Michelle Saunders, who was wounded in Iraq, said the outpouring of support humbles her.

“We signed up, we raised our right hand because we wanted to; it wasn’t because we were forced to,” she said. “I know a lot of people on the receiving end say it’s humbling for them, but it’s actually very humbling for us.”

Saunders and a group of servicemembers will be treated to a day on the links here July 9, a day after the official tournament ends. Playing on a tournament-quality course is a rare opportunity that few have the fortune to enjoy, she said.

Woods actually played in a golf foursome July 4 that included two servicemembers. He and tournament sponsors will give 30,000 tournament tickets to U.S. military personnel over the course of the tournament week, and those attending will be able to enjoy the view from a special seating gallery, and snack on discounted concessions after showing military identification.

"My dad was retired, but I grew up on a military base, and played golf there and that was my home course," Woods said during the July 4 opening ceremony. "For me, all my life, I've been part of the military.

"I've always been around (servicemembers),” he said. “I understand the commitment it takes for men and women to do what they do each and every day. That's a commitment that I don't think that people truly understand.”

Allison Barber, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communications and public liaison, called the tournament the “perfect package” to express support for servicemembers.

“The PGA Tour goes out of its way to use the golf world to highlight and thank our troops,” Barber said. “And then you have Dr. Rice – and there’s nobody busier – and she comes out, not just to watch golf, but she wanted to come out and thank the Tiger Woods Foundation, thank the PGA Tour, but she really wanted to spend time with our troops.

“I think if our troops got one message this weekend, the message should be that everybody is doing what they can do, within their worlds, to show that they support the troops,” Barber said. “And the message is so clear that the American people do support our men and women in the military.”

Biographies:
Condoleezza Rice
Allison Barber

Related Sites:
U.S. Department of State
America Supports You

Related Articles:
Sergeant Makes Birdie Putt for Tiger in Earl Woods Memorial Pro-Am
Tiger Woods Hits Links With Servicemembers and Former President

Click photo for screen-resolution image Army Maj. Jim Gregory, right, assigned to the Army's 3rd Special Forces Group on Fort Bragg, N.C., watches as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice calls a play at the 18th hole of the AT&T National golf tournament today at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md. Defense Dept. photo by Carmen L. Gleason  
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Click photo for screen-resolution image Soldiers of the Army's 3rd Special Forces Group from Fort Bragg, N.C., pose for photos with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today during the AT&T National golf tournament at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md. Defense Dept. photo by Carmen L. Gleason  
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America Supports You: DoD and PGA Launch Military Golf Program

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Arlington, VA - May 2007 - The Defense Department’s America Supports You program and its new partner, the Professional Golfers Association of America, teed off the Military Golf Program today at the Army Navy Country Club here.

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Brian Whitcomb, president of PGA of America, speaks to the audience May 17 during a ceremony honoring the launch of the PGA of America/Disabled Sports USA Military Golf Program at the Army-Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Molly A. Burgess, USN  

The program, co-sponsored by Disabled Sports USA, is a nationwide initiative to encourage wounded servicemembers to participate in golf as a rehabilitative and recreational pursuit. In conjunction with the program’s announcement, four wounded veterans from Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in Washington, D.C., practiced on the driving range here under the tutelage of seven PGA professionals.

“The nation has called upon our young men and women to serve, and we ask a lot of them and they give a lot that we just can’t give back,” Navy Rear Adm. Frank Thorp IV, deputy assistant secretary of defense for joint communication, told the roughly 50-member audience.

“What’s different about serving in a uniform in the United States military than working for many other noble organizations or corporations around the country, is the fact that Americans come together, like you all have today, to recognize those of us who serve,” he said. “That makes us feel very proud to serve. ... It’s not just words; it’s not just platitudes; it’s actual, tangible efforts.

“On behalf of every single member of the United States military, I give you a whole-hearted ‘thank you’ and my personal appreciation,” Thorp added.

PGA of America is coordinating teams of PGA professionals who will instruct wounded warriors at sites near the nation’s three primary military hospitals: Walter Reed; Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio; and Naval Medical Center San Diego.

“It’s great when organizations like PGA of America join the America Supports You team and make a long-term, tangible commitment to our men and women in the military across the country,” said America Supports You creator Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for internal communications and public liaison.

PGA of America and Disabled Sports USA are among the more than 250 businesses and organizations nationwide that participate in the Defense Department’s America Supports You program, which recognizes citizens’ support for military men and women and communicates that support to members of the U.S. armed forces here and abroad.

“It goes way beyond the PGA of America, way beyond this game of golf and the other programs, to have the privilege of being here today with all of you and introduce this exciting program that supports the troops who stand in harm’s way to give all of us the freedom that we enjoy here in America,” said Brian Whitcomb, president of PGA of America.

Whitcomb recognized the seven PGA professionals on hand, and thanked servicemembers on behalf of all 28,000 PGA golf professionals.

Kirk M. Bauer, executive director of Disabled Sports USA, accepted a plaque from Whitcomb on behalf of PGA of America for his outstanding efforts with wounded war veterans. Bauer then introduced retired Army Sgt. Sean Lewis, Army Staff Sgt. Joe Bowser, retired Army Sgt. Orlando Gill and Army Sgt. 1st Class David Cook -- the four wounded veterans in the audience.

“When I visit these men and women in the hospital, they’re down,” said Bauer, who lost his leg in Vietnam when a grenade detonated nearby and now stands on a prosthetic. “They’ve got tubes coming out of them; they’ve got pins in them; they’re literally fighting for their lives, and these are young men and women who have literally been taught to conquer cities.

“It’s a pretty devastating prospect,” he said. “And what they need at that point in time is something to hold onto, to let them know that they can believe in themselves again, can be active again and that they can lead an active life. Sports and golf in particular is one of those tools to do that.”

Lewis said he was uninterested in golf before suffering an injury in Iraq.

“I always thought golf was stupid,” said Lewis, whose right leg was amputated after a 155 mm mortar landed about three feet from him in Baqubah, Iraq.

While recovering at Walter Reed, Lewis met a mentor, Billy Bartlett, who Lewis affectionately calls “Pop.” After many entreaties, Lewis finally acquiesced to Pop, agreeing to join him one day on the links. “So because of him annoying me into finally getting out there on the driving range, now I love it,” Lewis said.

“It’s too easy for someone to sit there on the couch and die inside and give up on everything,” Lewis said about his decision to play golf, which he does nearly every day. “I’m young. I have way too much time to do nothing but just sit there, … I ski, I fish, I snowboard, I do everything; just because I’m missing a leg doesn’t mean I’m a different person.”

Lewis hasn’t let his disability change his approach to parenting either. Following the ceremony, Lewis said he was embarking on a father-son camping trip.

“With us it’s a challenge not only to walk, … but it’s a challenge to try and beat the two-legged guys, and I love it,” said Army Staff Sgt. Joe Bowser, who lost his leg when a 122 mm mortar struck near him on Camp Anaconda in Baghdad.

“I have (an able-bodied) friend in Cincinnati; I played on his golf course and I birdied the seventh hole,” Bowser said. “The guy is almost a pro, and I rub it in as much as possible.”

Judy Alvarez, PGA and Ladies PGA professional, told the audience she was deeply honored when PGA of America invited her to train wounded servicemembers participating in the Military Golf Program. Working with disabled golfers taught Alvarez that in addition to being good exercise, golf is mentally and emotionally therapeutic.

“I challenge you when you leave here today not to look at what their disability is, but what their abilities are and how they can do something,” she said.

Biographies:
Allison Barber
Related Sites:
America Supports You
Disabled Sports USA
Related Articles:
America Supports You: Wounded Warriors Hit Links in Full Swing
Click photo for screen-resolution image Navy Rear Adm. Frank Thorp IV, deputy assistant secretary of defense for joint communications, addresses the audience May 17 during a ceremony honoring the launch of the PGA of America/Disabled Sports USA Military Golf Program at the Army-Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Molly A. Burgess, USN  
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Click photo for screen-resolution image Brian Whitcomb (right), president of PGA of America, presents the PGA Growth of the Game award May 17 to Kirk Bauer, executive director of Disabled Sports USA, during a launching ceremony of the PGA of America/Disabled Sports USA Military Golf Program at the Army-Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Molly A. Burgess, USN  
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Click photo for screen-resolution image Kirk Bauer, executive director of Disabled Sports USA, speaks to the audience May 17 during a launching ceremony for the PGA of America/Disabled Sports USA Military Golf Program at the Army-Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Molly A. Burgess, USN  
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Click photo for screen-resolution image David Cook, a Walter Reed Army Medical center outpatient, hits a golf ball after a May 17 ceremony launching the PGA of America/Disabled Sports USA Military Golf Program at the Army-Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Molly A. Burgess, USN  
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Click photo for screen-resolution image Retired Army Sgt. Orlando Gill practices putting after a May 17 ceremony launching the PGA of America/Disabled Sports USA Military Golf Program at the Army-Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Molly A. Burgess, USN  
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Click photo for screen-resolution image Army Staff Sgt. Joe Bowser practices putting May 17 after a launching ceremony for the PGA of America/Disabled Sports USA Military Golf Program at the Army-Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Molly A. Burgess, USN  
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Click photo for screen-resolution image PGA golf pros stand behind four wounded soldiers May 17 at the Army-Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va., site of the PGA of America/Disabled Sports USA Military Golf Program. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Molly A. Burgess, USN  
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Military athletes honored on cereal box

  FORT LEE, Va. – Military athletes will soon make “cereal history.” The Armed Forces Sports Office has teamed with corporate partner General Mills to honor five armed forces athletes on a 2003 commemorative Cheerios box. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard athletes are featured on the boxes, which include action shots and short biographies of the athletes outlining their accomplishments as both military members and armed forces athletes.

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