NEW YORK — April 10, 2024 — Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride and running back DeeJay Dallas participated in a National Football League – United Service Organizations (USO) tour from April 2-5 to visit U.S. service members at six military bases in Poland. Each year as part of the NFL’s Salute to Service initiative, the league collaborates with the USO to connect select NFL players with U.S. service members and their families at military bases across the globe, providing them with the opportunity to meet our nation’s heroes and experience a day in their lives.
During this year’s tour, Trey McBride and DeeJay Dallas interacted with service members to learn about their roles in the military and received mission briefs from senior leaders on their mission in Poland. They also observed military equipment demonstrations, participated in an Army combat fitness test, and joined in on a Madden gaming tournament with service members – all while conducting meet and greets and sharing meals with service members. The players also had a unique opportunity to meet with service members from the Arizona National Guard, who are ardent Arizona Cardinals fans.
“We are privileged to have once again participated in another meaningful tour with the USO to visit and honor our nation’s service members stationed on the frontlines in Poland,” said NFL Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility Anna Isaacson. “The NFL continues to support the military year-round through our Salute to Service initiative, and we are proud to facilitate opportunities for players to meet service members and thank them for the incredible sacrifices they’ve made to protect our freedom.”
For nearly 60 years, the NFL and the USO have partnered to bring NFL players to military bases around the world to engage with and honor the country’s military community. In 1966, the NFL first teamed with the USO and became the first sports organization to send players on an overseas tour to meet with service members, visiting military personnel stationed in Vietnam and the surrounding region. Since then, more than 250 NFL players, coaches and executives, including Legends Terry Bradshaw, Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, and Jason Witten, have participated in NFL-USO tours spanning close to 30 countries and involving more than 100,000 U.S. service members.
“All of us at the USO are extremely grateful for our decades-long partnership with the NFL that allows us to bring football and so much more to the people who are serving and protecting us around the world,” said Christopher Plamp, USO Chief Operating Officer. “Bringing NFL players to overseas locations, where service members and their families are far from home, is always an exciting opportunity. It’s partners like the NFL that make our mission at the USO possible.”
Throughout the year, the NFL partners with the USO to express gratitude and thanks to our nation’s Armed Forces. Leveraging the sport of football, the NFL and the USO work together to provide a piece of familiarity and joy to service members stationed away from home. Recently, through the league’s Salute to Service initiative and partnership with the USO, the NFL supported the expansion of the USO center at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, offering comfort and recreation to the military community stationed in the Arctic Circle. Additionally, the NFL recently collaborated with the USO to coordinate Super Bowl LVIII watch parties in USO centers across the globe. For more information on the USO, please visit uso.org.
