As soon as we woke up, we knew it would be a long day. We planned on heading to two small FOB's before coming back to Camp Speicher for a Super Bowl performance and meet-and-greet. Since there is a nine-hour time difference, the Super Bowl would be airing in Iraq around 3 a.m. We headed out to Camp Grizzly and met some of the soldiers that showed us around a Striker, vehicles that are used as troop transport vehicles. They showed us around and let us ride in the gunner's seat.
Next, we were off to Cobra. This was a very small base about 60 miles away from Iran. We decided to do an impromptu dance performance for the troops, but getting ready was a little difficult. The closest place to change was a very small bathroom with a broken door. We all squeezed in, got ready, then went into the food stock area to practice. Not the most ideal conditions for a performance, but we made it work! The guys loved the special treat and lined up to meet us all afterwards. The only drawback about this base was that it was right in the desert and the dust and sand was unbelievable!
After we got back to Camp Speicher, I realized I had dust in my nose and ears, which apparently is very common. We all decided to relax, shower and nap before our midnight performance for the troops on Super Bowl Sunday. We arrived to hundreds of Army, Navy and Air Force soldiers overjoyed to not only see us but to receive two beers. Since alcohol is illegal in Iraq, the troops were being treated to two beers for Super Bowl Sunday.
After our performance, we rushed back to Freedom Rest to change and catch the beginning of the game, however when we arrived we realized there was one small problem… there was no audio on the station airing the Super Bowl anywhere on Camp Speicher! So we grabbed a few sofas next to some of the soldiers, listened to music, watched the game, ate some wings and did a little trash-talking on who was going to win. The game ended with the Saints' win around 6:15 a.m., and we headed to bed to wake up in a few short hours to head to Joint Base Balad.
