Vikings Cheerleaders visit Bagram Air Base

The Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders visited the troops at Bagram Air Base

H/T to Blogs of War

Sarah and Bailey, two of five Minnesota Vikings cheerleaders who toured and performed at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, May 19, 2008, display their Army T-shirts as they share words of encouragement to a standing-room-only crowd of servicemembers. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace, Combined Joint Task Force 101

Minnesota Vikings cheerleaders Jessie, Sarah, Amanda, Peyton and Bailey perform a dance routine during the cheerleaders’ performance at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, May 19, 2008. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace, Combined Joint Task Force 101 

Vikings Cheerleaders Visit Bagram Air Base By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace Special to American Forces Press Service

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, May 20, 2008 – Historically speaking, Vikings and Afghanistan don’t have much in common, but all that changed yesterday when five cheerleaders from the National Football League’s Minnesota Vikings pumped up a standing-room-only crowd of servicemembers here.

The event started with songs, dancing and cheers intended to vitalize the troops’ spirits, Vikings cheerleader Peyton said. Team policy is to use only cheerleaders’ first names.

“We are all very glad to be here, and we are going to put on a great show,” Peyton said as she warmed up before the event. “This is our last show in Afghanistan, and we want to make this a night the troops will remember.”

With a promise to give the night their all, the cheerleaders went backstage and the event coordinators began letting in the men and women who were anxiously waiting outside.

First through the door was U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Oscar Bruck, 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron phase crew chief. “I’ve been waiting here since 6:20 (p.m.),” said Bruck, a Marlett, Mich., native deployed from the Royal Air Force base at Lakenheath, England. The event did not start until 8 p.m., but waiting nearly two hours didn’t bother Bruck. “I wanted a front-row seat to make sure I got good photos,” he said.

Good photos were not all Bruck received. He also got picked to come onstage, meet the cheerleaders and challenge 19 other servicemembers to a push-up contest.

Bruck did not win the contest, as his skills were no match for Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Gilbert Corpuz, who knocked out 103 regulation push-ups in a minute. For his victory, Corpuz was rewarded with a Vikings calendar, autographed by all the cheerleaders.

After the push-up contest was finished, the cheerleaders performed another routine, and then they picked 10 servicemembers to join them on stage for a game of “Cheerleader Says,” modelled after the classic children’s game “Simon Says.” ---Defense Link