Nadeau: Afghanistan 'great experience'

MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- When Jerry Nadeau signed on with MB2 Motorsports and U.S. Army Racing last fall, he thought his first adventure would be the Feb. 16 Daytona 500.

	Jerry Nadeau Credit: Autostock

Little did he know that his first outing would take him halfway across the globe to the front lines of Afghanistan and Kuwait.

As part of the Armed Forces Professional Entertainment Program Overseas, the United States Secretary of Defense invited five racers -- including Nadeau -- to support "Operation Enduring Freedom" by visiting the troops in the Middle East December 28 through January 4.

The week-long trip left him with a new respect for the United States military.

"It was just an awesome trip," Nadeau said. "It took us 16 hours just to get there, but it was worth every minute. I flew from Charlotte to Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C. to London; London to Moscow; Moscow to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; and from Bishkek to Bagram, Afghanistan. From Bishkek to Afghanistan we flew on a on a C-130 military plane, which was absolutely awesome."

The other four drivers who participated in the trip included fellow NASCAR Winston Cup Series competitor Geoffrey Bodine; Tony Schumacher, who pilots the U.S. Army Top Fuel Dragster in NHRA; Nigel Hook, a former champion in the American Power Boat Association; and Gary Lewis, former NASCAR Northwest Touring Series champion.

They joined General John M. Keane, a four-star general and Vice Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army, for the morale-boosting tour of the Middle East.

"Our 'mission' was to support the troops -- the soldiers that are on the front lines trying to remove the danger of the Taliban," Nadeau explained. "Gen. Keane went over there to make speeches to encourage them and help keep morale up as well as keep the troops focused on the task at hand. It was really nice to be able to go out and support them like this. We must have signed autographs four or five hours every day for 600-700 troops at different camps.

"It really was a great experience. The whole time, we might have gotten eight hours of sleep, but I didn't mind -- there was so much to see. I wish every American could see what our troops go through so they can realize how lucky we really are. We have our freedom because of our great military and we should be thankful for them. We take a lot for granted here at home.

"It's amazing to see what our soldiers go through. They are out there doing this for us -- they're away from their families and their children for months or even years at a time and they only get to call home once a week for five to ten minutes. It's an honor to have been able to go there, but it was even more of an honor for me to be able to shake their hands and say 'thanks' personally. I think it meant a lot to them, but it probably meant even more to me."

The trip wasn't all work for Nadeau and the other participants in the Armed Forces Professional Entertainment Program Overseas, however. Several adventures made the trip more than memorable for the five drivers.

"We never knew what could happen while we were there, but I felt totally safe the whole time," said the 32-year-old driver. "One morning, I did get an interesting wake up call, though. An American fighter jet flew over our tent at about 5 a.m. and it sounded just like an incoming bomb. It certainly got my attention, but nobody else even seemed to notice!

"We did a lot of neat activities while we were over there, too. We were able to try out machine guns at a firing range in Afghanistan. A couple of soldiers showed us the weapons and gave us a 'crash course' in how to use them and we shot three different types of guns. It was unbelievable to be holding those powerful weapons.

"Then when we were in Kuwait, we drove tanks as part of a demonstration for the troops. I guess it was really more for us, though! Even with all of those activities, the coolest thing was still just talking to the troops. You wouldn't believe how many of them are NASCAR

fans."

Instead of ringing in 2003 with his wife, Jada, at home in Mooresville, N.C., Nadeau "watched the ball drop" with the troops in Bagram, Afghanistan before heading to the front lines of another military location.

"We rang in the New Year with some music and a crane with a ball on the end that dropped at midnight like in New York City. Then we left the next day to Kuwait. That wasn't part of our original itinerary, but Gen. Keane wanted to visit the troops there, so we all went with him in his private military jet."

Needless to say, the entire week made quite an impression on Nadeau and the other participants in the Armed Forces Professional Entertainment Program Overseas,

"This was probably one of the best experiences of my life. It wasn't just a trip. I've traveled all over the world and done a lot of things in my

career, but this was one of the most amazing things I've ever been a part of. I hope people realize how valuable our military is to us and just what we really have.

"I can't wait to go out and visit more troops throughout the U.S. this year.

"I'm sure I'll talk about this trip for a long time. I plan on doing my best to represent the U.S. Army and get the word out about how strong our military is through their association with NASCAR and MB2 Motorsports this season."