2009 NCAA Coaches Tour Airmen's Diary Part 1 of 3 Published June 11, 2009 By 2nd Lt. Nicholas Mercurio 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- Editor's note: This is the first article in a series of three articles depicting the daily events of the 2009 NCAA Coaches Tour, May 27, 2009 - June 4, 2009. The 2009 NCAA Coaches Tour: three continents, six countries, nine days. In a whirlwind tour six active NCAA football coaches: Mack Brown (Texas), Jim Tressel (Ohio State), Rick Neuheisel (UCLA), Troy Calhoun (Air Force), Houston Nutt (Ole Miss) and Jim Grobe (Wake Forest), led by coach emeritus Tommy Tuberville, traveled nearly 17,000 miles, visiting deployed servicemen and women overseas. With stops in Germany, Turkey, Iraq, Kuwait, Djibouti, and Spain, the coaches signed autographs, took photos, coached flag football games, and handed out 12,000 lbs of T-shirts, hats, and other memorabilia to fans from all branches of the military. Traveling on an array of mobility aircraft featuring the C-17, C-130 and KC-135, the coaches endured a grueling schedule without complaint, sleeping little, smiling often and raising the already spirited morale of America's deployed warriors. As the Chief of Public Affairs for the host wing of the primary means of transport, a KC-135 from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., I was along for the ride for what was a once in a lifetime adventure with a group of truly extraordinary leaders and military professionals. The following is a daily account of my experiences with the tour. Wednesday, May 27 McConnell had been buzzing with activity for days before the arrival of Troy Calhoun, Jim Grobe, and Jim Tressel as the 12,000 lbs of cargo was stuffed into A bags (military duffel bags) and then palletized according to the locations where they would be distributed. The airmen of the 22nd Logistics Readiness Squadron amazed me with their speed and efficiency in getting the cargo ready to go. The cargo loading also forecasted what would be a common theme for the rest of the trip: we were all on one team; it didn't matter if you were aircrew, Morale Entertainment or Armed Forces Entertainment staff, a videographer, public affairs officer, personal security detail or an intern, you would do whatever was required to accomplish the mission. The burgeoning sense of camaraderie I felt as the tour commenced would only grow as the miles ticked by and the locales became more fantastic and more dangerous. The coaches were taken on a tour of the installation with stops showcasing an aspect of each of the four groups at Team McConnell. At the Medical Clinic, excited onlookers watched as the coaches performed CPR on "METI", a highly advanced dummy which breathes and bleeds and is used to train combat medics and base medical personnel. After an impromptu autograph signing it was on to the isochronal inspection dock where a KC-135 sat partially dismantled as it endured the thorough ISO inspection. From there the coaches were brought to the explosive ordnance disposal shed. In a day full of smiles and laughter, the most somber moment came when members of the 22nd Civil Engineering Squadron briefed the threats posed to America's servicemen and women by improvised explosive devices. As the coaches looked at the examples of shape charges and mines, the reality of the danger faced daily by the young men and women they would soon meet downrange, most of them the same age as the football players they lead onto the field each Saturday, became painfully clear. "It was a sobering moment," Coach Grobe said, "the reality of the dangers really hit home." The last stop for the coaches was the KC-135 simulator where each got some time in the pilot's seat. After their flying was done they agreed that none of them would be flying on the trip. Thursday, May 28 The day began at 7 a.m. with an Airmen's Breakfast at the dining facility which included Airmen from the 22 ARW and McConnell's total force teammates, the 931st Air Refueling Group and the 184th Intelligence Wing. The last stop at McConnell was a two hour autograph signing at the main gymnasium. At 11:20 a.m. we headed to the flight line to board the KC-135. It was a short flight to Scott AFB, Ill. where we met up with the remaining coaches. The coaches had a brief meeting with Gen. Arthur J. Lichte, commander Air Mobility Command. From the general's office we were escorted into a conference room where we were briefed on AMC, its organization and distinctive capabilities and the history of mobility airpower. We were also given a tour of the 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center, the global air operations center which controls all Air Force and commercial contract tanker, airlift, and aeromedical evacuation flights worldwide. After the TACC the coaches changed into more comfortable clothes in preparation for the long flight across the Atlantic to Germany. We would fly through the night and hoped to arrive at Ramstein Air Base, Germany sometime around 10:00 a.m. local. Having flown on the KC-135 before I knew this would be the most difficult leg of the journey, but the excitement I felt for my first trip overseas and the tireless efforts of our aircrew to make the flight as comfortable as possible tempered my apprehensions. As the wheels left the runway I looked around the plane and was greeted by faces set in anticipation of both the trials and joys we would face on our long road. In our own small way we had crossed the Rubicon. It was the end of life as we knew it; for better or worse, this experience would leave us forever altered. Friday, May 29 Sleeping on a KC-135 during a 10 hour trans-Atlantic flight is a difficult task (your head sweats and your toes freeze) but thanks to the attentive crew and the amazing black sleeping bags that were stashed strategically all over the plane, it was not impossible. We landed at Ramstein AB right on time time and were immediately whisked through customs and brought to lodging. We had 30 minutes to freshen up before boarding a bus headed for the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and the Fisher House, where several tents and a barbeque awaited. Coach Brown and Coach Nutt, our resident BBQ experts, were more than happy with the fare. However, their excitement was far exceeded by that of the military personnel that had gathered there. This trend of excitement would continue throughout our visit to Germany. At the hospital we learned that during Vietnam, the survival rate for the wounded after they reached a facility such as LARMC was 70 percent. Today, thanks to innovations in the entire aeromedical evacuation process, a wounded American has an unprecedented 99 percent chance of survival upon arrival at Landstuhl. As we walked through the wards, solemn expressions and an air of reverence prevailed. This changed as we entered the first patient's room. The coaches put their personal feelings aside and approached the patient's bed exuding warmth and positive energy. I knew what to expect at Landstuhl, and yet the sight of an American lying there injured reverberated deep within me. It was not a surreal moment, but a real moment, perhaps the most real space of time I have experienced in my life. I was instantly and completely grateful for this man as I was equally grateful to these coaches who, at that moment, brought a smile to his face. This scene would repeat itself for the next two hours as we went from room to room, photos taken and T-shirts signed. During our visit I noticed Coach Brown was handing out a necklace and pendant to the wounded warriors. When I asked him about it, he said, "They're American eagles. A jeweler in Austin gave them to me to bring and they have 'strength and courage' written on the back. I thought it was so appropriate for the young men and women who have been injured to have the strength and courage that they've had in such a tough time in their lives to fight back, so if they could just hold it in their hands or wear it around their neck it might help them." Knowing that the 2008 Coach of the Year cares that much about you helps too. We left Landstuhl with first-hand knowledge of the consequences of the dangers the men and women face downrange daily and headed to the base fitness center for a question and answer session and autograph signing. In what would become standard operating procedure for the rest of the tour, all questions concerning an NCAA playoff versus the bowl system were directed to Mack Brown. After the signing we traveled through the neighboring town of Kaiserslautern to enjoy a traditional German meal at the Hotel Bremerhof. The open air seating and excellent beer and desert selections made for an enjoyable, albeit short evening, as we were all exhausted from traveling. We returned to lodging early and took advantage of some much needed rest before embarking for Turkey the following morning.