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WASHINGTON D.C. (February 21, 2008) - Away from the rigors of
combat last night on an evening dedicated to their selfless
service, the only shootout troops worried about was between dueling
National Hockey League teams.
During Military Appreciation Night at the Verizon Center here,
the Washington Capitals honored some 5,000 servicemembers and their
families with free admission and hosted dozens of wounded warriors
from military hospitals. From the giant high-definition screen
hanging from the arena's ceiling, shout-outs to servicemembers and
videos featuring troops and hockey pros projected onto some 18,000
fans attending the Capitals-New York Islanders contest.
At a pre-game reception in the Dewar's Club, with fat snowflakes
visible through the window behind the podium, Deputy Defense
Secretary Gordon England spoke to a crowd of about 100 VIP guests.
England, using the themes of inclement weather and the night's main
event, took a playful swipe at his boss, Defense Secretary Robert
M. Gates, who injured his shoulder last week after slipping on an
icy pathway near his home.
"You know, the secretary is on injured reserve now because he
encountered some ice outside," he said. "So it's nice to be here
with an ice rink where it all belongs."
On a serious note, England said military appreciation nights are
significant because they bring together Pentagon civilians,
military members and business people for one common cause: to thank
those who serve the United States to preserve American freedom and
liberty. "We are absolutely blessed to have these men and women who
serve and all of those who serve for them," he added.
England was introduced by Allison Barber, deputy assistant
secretary of defense for internal communications and public
liaison. Barber is the founder of America Supports You, a program
that connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and
their families serving at home and abroad, which organized the
military-themed evening.
"America Supports You is a DoD program that makes it easy for
everyone in America to find a way to support our troops and our
families," she added.
Before the puck dropped, Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited with America
Supports You home-front group members tending to kiosks and booths
in the main concourse. As Cartwright made his rounds, fans ogled
the shiny brass stars on the general's shoulders. "Who's that
four-star?" one former Marine, who later introduced himself to the
vice chairman, was overheard to say.
Asked how valuable efforts by networks like America Supports You
groups are for channeling public support for the military, the
general said the benefits are three-fold.
"It makes the troops and their families aware of what
opportunities are available to them and it gives people an
opportunity to contribute in a way that may not be in a foxhole,
and to be given the booth space and acknowledged makes all the
difference in the world," he said. "(Events) like this bring all
the pieces together."
The general said that American support for troops -- perhaps at
a historic low when he joined the Marines during the Vietnam War
era -- is critical to men and women in uniform.
"To understand what you're doing makes a difference and that
it's appreciated by somebody is 90 percent of what we go out there
and fight for is that feeling," he said. "And to lose that feeling
is to lose the motivation that you have in the foxhole day in and
day out."
Army Staff Sgt. Gary Heffernan, a veteran of Operation Iraqi
Freedom and a member of the Defense Department's "Why We Serve"
speakers outreach program, was on hand for the game. The Boston
native, who said his father played goalie in the National Hockey
League, acknowledged that Americans aren't obliged to display their
support for the military.
"So when businesses like the Capitals reach out to the military,
it's enormous," he said. "Even when little businesses or schools
reach out and say, 'Hey, we support you,' it's enormously
meaningful, because the reason why we fight is for the people."
Asked why he thinks they choose to show their support, Heffernan
said, "Because they love us. There's no other reason for it."
Capitals owner Ted Leonsis told guests gathered at the pre-game
reception that this is the sixth year the Capitals have held
military appreciation night. The Caps had won four of the five
previous ones, but on this night the Islanders topped the Capitals
3-2 in a shootout.
Leonsis' father, who came to America from Greece, spent seven
years in the U.S. Navy, serving on the USS Bunker Hill. Leonsis
told the crowd his last memory of his father, who died at age 95 in
September, was when Navy sailors honored his memory at the cemetery
during his burial.
The flag that was laid over Leonsis' father's casket and
presented to the Leonsis family is on display in the Capitals
owner's office.
"My father was an American first and foremost, and instilled in
all of us the spirit of competitiveness and what a great country
this is," Leonsis said. "We should never lose sight that our
country is made up of individuals, and the men and women who serve
our country really deserve our respect and our thanks, and this is
our small way of doing it."
Army Lt. Col. Steve Szewc, who works at the Pentagon as an
assistant to the director of the Army staff, said the military
appreciation night is a good way to show support for military
members of all ranks.
"I think this is a great opportunity for the senior leadership
to mix with the troops. It's a good, casual forum, and it also lets
servicemembers know there are people out there supporting them," he
said. "It's more than what you see in the day-to-day news."
Editor's Note: To find out about more individuals,
groups and organizations that are helping support the troops,
visit www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. America
Supports You directly connects military members to the support of
the America people and offers a tool to the general public in their
quest to find meaningful ways to support the military
community.
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