robin williams uso tour 2010

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The Military Absolutely Loved Robin Williams

R obin Williams was beloved by the U.S. military, perhaps even more so than by the American public. He carried Bob Hope’s mantle as a funny man far from home, often in inhospitable places. Throughout his career, Williams made six USO tours to Iraq, Afghanistan, and 11 other countries and performed for 90,000 troops by the time of his final tour in 2010.

He had the troops roaring in Baghdad in 2003, shortly after the capture of Saddam Hussein. “I love the fact that when he came out of that spider hole, he wanted to negotiate,” Williams said , before changing his voice into that of a bellowing soldier: “It’s a little late for that, bubsy! You’re at the point where you’re going to share a cell with a large man named Bubba. I’m gonna be yo’ new Baghdaddy.”

He also poked fun at the Army itself, including a change to uniforms that appeared to be computer-generated. “The new Army camouflage—it’s digital,” he told troops in Kabul in 2007. “So you can disappear in front of a computer.”

“Williams traveled around the world to lift the spirits of our troops and their families,” the USO posted on Facebook following the news of Williams’ passing. “He will always be a part of our USO family and will be sorely missed.” The post had attracted nearly 60,000 “likes” by midday Tuesday.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel made a statement of his own on Williams, saying that “from entertaining thousands of service men and women in war zones, to his philanthropy that helped veterans struggling with hidden wounds of war, he was a loyal and compassionate advocate for all who serve this nation in uniform. “He will be dearly missed by the men and women of DOD—so many of whom were personally touched by his humor and generosity.”

Jim Garamone, a writer for the Pentagon’s internal news service, wrote Tuesday of the comedian’s caring and compassion for those fighting the nation’s wars:

At the end of every performance—be it a combat outpost or a forward operating base—Robin was always the last entertainer to leave. In Iraq, a group of Marines came in from patrol and missed his show. He made it a point to meet with them and give them 20 minutes of fun, even as the chopper’s blades were turning to go to the next show. In Afghanistan, the “clamshell” at Bagram Air Field was a favorite venue for him, and he performed there many times. In 2010, he started the show with “I love what you’ve done with the place.” He was not a prima donna. One time a sandstorm grounded the party at an outpost near Baghdad. Robin along with everyone else crammed into a small “tin can” to spend the night. The next day his jokes about snoring and gaseous emissions pretty much convulsed everyone.

Rear Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon’s top spokesman, recalled asking Williams, the father of three, for some fatherly guidance during that last 2010 tour. “I once asked Robin Williams to offer advice for my son, who would soon turn 18,” Kirby tweeted early Tuesday. “’Follow your heart,’ he said. ‘The head is sometimes wrong.'”

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Robin Williams A Beloved Figure On USO Tours (Video)

Actor Robin Williams , who died Monday at age 63 of an apparent suicide, had visited both Afghanistan and Iraq in 2010 as part of a USO tour to bring entertainment to the troops during the holidays. But it was his visit to Kuwait in 2007, and how his military audience reacted during the retreat ceremony, that might have been the most memorable.

Williams was in the middle of entertaining service members on the evening of Dec. 6, 2007 at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait when the base's retreat ceremony began. According to About.com , the soldiers in the audience behaved exactly as they should have:

When persons not assigned to a formation are outdoors and in uniform, on the first note of retreat, they should face the flag (if visible) or music and assume the position of parade rest.

This threw Williams for a bit of a loop, but he reacted with his characteristic lightning-fast wit. Take a look below:

Robin Williams and gang thrill the troops

Joined by lance armstrong, others, actor follows bob hope's footsteps.

U.S. AIR BASE, Kuwait--Army Staff Sgt. Andrew Guffey was assigned to the distinguished visitors just arriving to the airbase in the middle of the Kuwaiti desert. The 27-year-old native of Pangburn, Ark., with 10 and a half years of military service was on his first tour of the Middle East and assigned the duty of looking after members of the press.

The occasion was the USO tour just before Christmas hosted by Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Guffey had the photographers and military media under control so he would have the time to enjoy the concert himself.

An old pro of visiting the troops, Robin Williams is on his fourth full USO tour.

Within moments, comedian Lewis Black, Kid Rock, Miss USA Rachel Black and Lance Armstrong were going to entertain the troops, but even before anyone took the stage, Robin Williams was already putting on a show.

This was Williams' fourth tour in the area of operations. Among all the top celebrities paraded in the American media today, it's difficult to find anyone who has committed more energy and time to the troops than the man known as Mrs. Doubtfire.

Guffey, for one, was happy to see the visitors give soldiers "the sense that someone back home cares enough to come out there."

"We dedicate between 7 to 8 million dollars on entertainment," said John Hanson, USO senior vice president of marketing and communication. "We don't pay the talent but we will offer a small per diem." he said. "Most of them refuse it."

Today the group was in Kuwait, yesterday was Qatar, and then over to Afghanistan and Iraq before Turkey and Italy. These weren't glamour tours, the dust alone makes any attempt at flashy theatrics futile; and the physical conditions, hard travel, impromptu stages and questionable acoustics were anything but welcoming.

One of the main reasons why more stars don't come out is the commitment.

"We got them working the same day they got into town," Hanson said.

A home away from home, the USO is a resting stop for troops traveling. This USO, in Ramstein, Germany, has free wireless Internet and all-you-can-play video games.

The daily program can change according to the mood of a Blawkhawk helicopter, but the schedule is set for two to three shows per day in seven countries in just under two weeks.

"We have to be flexible," Hanson cautioned.

The military makes an effort to transport the distinguished visitors, but they often have to wait in line for air assets like anyone else.

"There's a war going on," said Hanson, in the tone of a man who has met and overcome scheduling issues without any of the arrogance normally afforded to Hollywood icons.

Often the issue keeping other stars from coming out are prior engagements. Robin Williams alone had four movie releases in 2005 and six films in 2006. When the stars are not working, the hundreds of people who work with them are also not working.

Within touching distance

I first met Marine Sgt. Wayne Edmiston from Scranton, Pa., in Fallujah during Operation Alljah. By chance, we ran into each other on his way back to Cherry Point, N.C. He just happened to be in town during the "great show and a motivated taste of home." The young sergeant was happy his brief stopover included this treat.

"I'm honored they would donate their time," he said.

Edmiston, a tri-athlete, is a big fan of Lance Armstrong, the Sports Illustrated Athlete of the Year and seven-time consecutive Tour de France Champion. Many soldiers throughout the Iraq and Afghanistan sport the famous yellow "Livestrong" wrist bands, so the audience was especially happy to shake hands with the retired cyclist.

"People would pay $1,000 to get this close to these guys, and we have them right here," said the sergeant of the no-frills unidentified airbase where most of the troops are either on their way back home or "heading up North" to Iraq and Afghanistan.

The celebrities had no red carpet, no velvet ropes, no dressing rooms and little if any of the amenities many stars are accustomed to back home.

Edmiston's uncle had seen Robin Williams in Operation Iraq Freedom, OIF One, back in 2003. Although it was Williams' fourth visit to the combat zone, he was still fresh and funny.

When Kid Rock took the stage, he illustrated why many mega stars would probably prefer to stay away from a USO tour. The Detroit bad boy was forced to improvise, humming lyrics as he tuned a reluctant guitar after having already started his first song. No back up, no rehearsal no chorus, just an artist, his skill and that rarity in today's MTV pop culture--charisma.

In under an hour, the troops got more variety than during a 15-month tour. Miss USA spoke about growing up in a military family after posing on a newly arrived Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle. Lance Armstrong spoke of cancer and the challenges "the disease" had given him while Williams was very frank about his most recent tour in rehab during a "You know you're a drunk when..." routine.

Tradition of service

The United Society of Organizations, or USO, came about when six charities united in 1941 at the request of President Franklin Roosevelt with the mission of "providing morale and welfare" to U.S. uniformed personnel. For a president known as the creator of "big government," FDR made the uncharacteristic decision to keep the USO autonomous and private, because if the American public didn't support it, he felt, it should not exist.

USO centers are located throughout the U.S. and abroad in places you would expect and others you would not. Some charities donate to the USO, but much of the money comes from private contributions. The Afghanistan USO, or Pat Tillman Center, was donated by the NFL. Nestled in the "Bagram Bowl"--a valley flanked by perpetually snow-capped mountains--the log cabin cottage could easily pass for a ski resort, where movies play 24 hours and military passengers transitioning both in and out of Afghanistan fall asleep on the over-sized chairs while waiting for web pages to download through the wireless Internet.

Immediately upon arrival, Robin Williams, a USO veteran, made his trip to the portable trailer latrines into an event in itself. The Academy Award winner hugged and posed for pictures with any and all comers, improvising people-specific comedy that soldiers will pass on to their grandchildren.

"He's been non-stop," said Staff Sgt. Guffey, the media guard and Williams fan.

Williams has an enormous gift for breaking every rule of civil discourse and still forcing everyone to laugh. There were no boundaries to his 20-minute act: sex, race, politics, culture and celebrity. In front of the loosely camouflaged stage, and armed with nothing more than a microphone he barely needed, Williams shifted into rapid-fire comedy that spanned literally a dozen accents he has mastered in a career that began before most of the troops in the audience were born.

The new Bob Hope?

"We don't really want a Bob Hope," said USO rep Hanson.

Times have changed, and so has entertainment. Back in his day, Hope produced tours using his relations with the USO at a time when there was no cable TV and fewer choices for prime time.

Today, it's difficult to get a network or producer interested in a tour because "variety television isn't as popular" and partially because of the changing dynamics of television programming. Today's younger audiences have often never seen a live performance.

Hanson is pleased the soldiers enjoyed the show, but his mind was on the bigger picture. At the end of the day, volunteers handed out gifts to the troops.

With 130 centers throughout the world, the USO has remained lean, keeping a mere 320 employees and mostly staffed by volunteers.

The little known secret was that Williams had donated much of the merchandise.

Kid Rock didn't avoid the controversy of his tabloid divorces. The former DJ dedicated his song "She's half your age and twice as hot" to his former wife, Pamela Anderson.

During his skit, comedian Lewis Black told audiences how much the military needed to change. But he wasn't the only one to give advice.

Kid Rock performed his "What if Kid Rock were president of the U.S." and pledged he would "turn churches into strip clubs" but promised, "We would remain one nation under God." Both comments got cheers from the audience.

Williams was present for the groundbreaking of the first USO in Afghanistan and will be present for the debut of the first USO in Iraq.

Army Cpl. Lee Dumbleton of Rochester, N.Y., is on his second tour and stationed in Germany. He enjoyed the show because he had never had much contact with the USO. Stationed at FOB Naray, near the dangerous Pakistan border, Dumbleton serves at a place "no one visits." With just a guitar and guts, Toby Keith has earned a reputation of going out to the FOBS that have yet to make it on to official maps.

Related pages

• Interview ::: Good Morning, Iraq
• Article ::: Celebs Visit U.S. Troops Across World
• Article ::: Robin Williams and gang thrill the troops
• Article ::: Robin Williams entertains in Afghanistan
• Interview ::: Good Morning, Afghanistan!

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'I'm not gonna forget that': The time Robin Williams' audience turned away from him

When the late comedian Robin Williams performed for US troops at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, in 2007, he experienced something that, 30 years into his career, probably hadn't happened for a long time – his audience turned their back on him. 

Mid routine about being glad he was in a room full of fake beer because he had just left rehab, Williams, who died in 2014, is visibly surprised when he hears a bugle call and then watches as his entire crowd stands up, turns around and salutes the flag. 

Seconds before, the men and women before him had been full of laughter but a combination of military tradition and armed forces discipline combined to change the frivolous vibe.

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The US Army Field Manual describes what happened as a military tradition that dates back to about 1835. 

It says: "Retreat was sounded at sunset to notify sentries to start challenging until sunrise, and to tell the rank and file to go to their quarters. 

"The ceremony remains as a tradition... as music honoring the flag as it is lowered in the evening." 

Over the course of six tours with the United Service Organization (USO), America's version of BFBS Live Events , Williams performed for about 89,000 military members in 13 countries.

In a touching moment, the video shows Williams, whose comedy was often improvised, physical and self-deprecating, immediately reacting to the bugle sound by taking off his hat and respectfully crossing his hands in front of him. 

At one point the much-loved comedian, who played an Armed Forces Radio Service presenter in the 1987 war comedy Good Morning, Vietnam, bows his head as if to pay further respect. 

After a little more than a minute, the bugle sound ends and the crowd erupts into screams and whistles to which Williams responds: "I'm not gonna forget that. 

"I've never had an entire audience just go 'forget you, you have no idea'. 

"I was also wondering, what's coming from that way? 

"When an entire group of military people turn that f****** way." 

He then asks the audience what happened and they reassure him it was a military tradition and nothing to be worried about. 

Keen to keep the comedy coming, Williams imagines what would have happened if they all had to retreat, shouting: "Pack up this ****, we've all gotta go." 

While visiting Camp Virginia the next day, Williams shared what was going through his mind, saying: "All of a sudden, the entire audience [turned around] and scared the **** out of me. 

"I was like, what do you know that I don't know? 

"I felt like the one human left in a town where everybody else has been possessed." 

#OnThisDay in 2007, comedy legend Robin Williams entertained troops deployed to Kuwait during a #USOHolidays tour. The six-time USO tour veteran always greeted service members with a warm smile, a handshake and a thank you. #OTD pic.twitter.com/zAEaK9WJom — USO (@The_USO) December 17, 2021

While on another USO Holiday Tour at Bagram Air Base three years later in December 2010, Williams was asked why he is so keen to entertain serving personnel. 

He said: "Because I get so much more out of it than people think than the energy coming here.  

"It's not that hard for me to get here.  

"People say it's a long way. Not really, I flew to Australia, it's about the same distance. 

"I meet amazing people, I get great energy back and I think it's just saying, 'hey, people care, we're here for you, you're here all year round. 

"We come at Christmas just to say we're sending you love from home." 

After Williams' death was announced in August 2014, then-President Barack Obama released a statement that touched for a brief moment on the comedian's generosity of spirit when it came to performing for the troops. 

He said: "He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most – from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets." 

Cover image: Robin Williams entertains troops at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, during a USO visit in December 2007 (Picture: Department of Defense).

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Remembering Robin Williams: How He Brought Joy to American Troops on USO Tours

The actor, who died Monday, "will be dearly missed," Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said

Michele Corriston is the Director of Platforms Strategy of PEOPLE. She has worked at PEOPLE since 2014.

Robin Williams brought laughter to even the darkest corners of the world.

Throughout his life, the late actor traveled across the war-torn Middle East with the United Service Organizations , entertaining American troops stationed in Afghanistan, Baghdad and Kuwait.

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel honored Williams on behalf of the Department of Defense on Monday, remembering his patriotism.

“Robin was a gifted actor and comedian, but he was also a true friend and supporter of our troops,” he said in a statement. “From entertaining thousands of service men and women in war zones, to his philanthropy that helped veterans struggling with hidden wounds of war, he was a loyal and compassionate advocate for all who serve this nation in uniform.

“He will be dearly missed by the men and women of the DoD – so many of whom were personally touched by his humor and generosity.”

Williams died of an apparent suicide Monday. He was 63.

The Oscar- and Emmy-winning star fought alcohol and drug addiction for years, and his rep said he was severely depressed leading up to his death. But for the soldiers he visited, Williams was full of pure joy.

“The entire USO family is saddened by the news of Robin Williams’s passing,” the USO posted Monday on Facebook . “One of the greatest comedic actors of his generation, Williams traveled around the world to lift the spirits of our troops and their families. He will always be a part of our USO family and will be sorely missed.”

President Barack Obama also offered his condolences to the Williams family, thanking him for his contributions to the USO.

“Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between. But he was one of a kind,” the Commander in Chief said in a statement. “He arrived in our lives as an alien – but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most – from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets.”

Williams’s 2008 tour to Camp Arifijan in Kuwait exemplified his commitment to his country – and his self-effacing sense of humor.

“I come here for you, because I believe you’re amazing,” he told the troops. “It’s good to be in a room with fake beer. Having just gotten out of rehab, that’s a good choice, because I was violating my standards quicker than I could lower them, but –”

As his bit was interrupted by the retreat ceremony and lowering of the American flag, Williams took off his hat and bowed his head.

“I’m not gonna forget that!” he joked as the crowd roared. “I’ve never had an entire audience just go, ‘Forget you! You have no idea!’ I was also wondering, what’s coming from that way, that an entire group of military people turns that way.”

Watch the video of his Kuwait USO tour below:

For more on Robin Williams’s tragic death and his legacy of comic genius, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday

The Williams family is asking well-wishers to send contributions to charities close to the actor’s heart in lieu of flowers. Suggested organizations include St. Jude’s Research Hospital , Challenged Athletes , USO , the Mohammed Ali Parkinson Center , the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

The Williams family is asking well-wishers to send contributions to charities close to the actor’s heart in lieu of flowers. Suggested organizations include St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital , Challenged Athletes , USO , the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center , the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco.

PHOTOS: Tributes: The Stars We’ve Lost

PHOTOS: Remembering Robin Williams – His Life and Legacy

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Afghanistan USO Holiday Tour Photos

December 26, 2010.

U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff concludes the 2010 USO Holiday Tour at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland on Dec.18, 2010. Mullen and his wife Deborah are hosting the holiday tour featuring comedians Robin Williams, Lewis Black and Kathleen Madigan, Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and country musicians Kix Brooks and Bob Dipiero touring the Central Command area of responsibility. (DoD photo by Mass Communciation Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)

Comedian Robin Williams visits with U.S. Army Lt. Gen. John F. Campbell, commanding general, Combined Task Force 101 aftter the USO Holiday Tour show at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan on Dec.15, 2010. U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and his wife Deborah are hosting the holiday tour featuring Willaims and comedians Robin Williams, Lewis Black and Kathleen Madigan, Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and country musicians Kix Brooks and Bob Dipiero touring the Central Command area of responsibility. (DoD photo by Mass Communciation Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley/Released)

Robin Williams, Lance Armstrong. Photo US Embassy Kabul.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Comedian/actor Robin Williams performs for servicemembers deployed here Dec. 15 as part of a United Service Organizations Inc. tour. Other entertainers included Kathleen Madigan, Lance Armstrong, Lewis Black, and Kix Brooks.

Robin Williams. Photo US Embassy Kabul.

Songwriter Bob Dipiero, left, and country music artist Kix Brooks, of Brooks & Dunn, perform for U.S. Marines with 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment at Camp Hanson in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Dec. 16, 2010. Dipiero and Brooks were part of the annual USO holiday tour, which was hosted by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen and also featured appearances by comedians Robin Williams, Lewis Black and Kathleen Madigan and Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley, U.S. Navy/Released)

Lance Armstrong. Photo US Embassy Kabul.

Lance Armstrong and Lewis Black. Photo US Embassy Kabul.

Photo US Embassy Kabul.

Lewis Black. Photo US Embassy Kabul.

Kix Brooks. Photo US Embassy Kabul.

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Seven-time Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong, takes a picture with Servicemembers during the USO’s annual holiday tour, Dec. 16, 2010. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Mark Abueg)

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Robin williams was a staple of uso tours overseas and in u.s..

Comedian Robin Williams was a regular on USO tours, performing for more 89,400 service members in the U.S. and overseas before his death on Monday, said USO spokeswoman Oname Thompson.

Williams was one of the first entertainers to go on a USO tour to Southwest Asia in 2002 and ultimately performed for U.S. troops in Afghanistan, Bahrain, Djibouti, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Spain, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and the U.S., Thompson said in an email to Military Times.

During his six USO tours and entertainment tours, Williams visited wounded warriors, performed at the 2008 USO Gala and traveled with four Joint Chiefs of Staff chairmen on USO holiday tours, Thompson said. His last USO tour was in December 2010.

John Hanson, senior vice president at the USO, accompanied Williams on a December 2007 USO tour to Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. He recalled a day in Afghanistan when Williams was on a plane waiting to depart, and a soldier came aboard to offload some equipment.

The soldier "thanked Robin for being at the show the night before — even though he hadn't seen the show," Hanson said. "He said, 'It's important for you to come over here, thank you,' and he gave Robin a Saint Christopher medallion to protect him."

Initially, Williams did not want to accept the gift, but the soldier insisted, Hanson said. A little while later, the soldier came back on the plane and found Williams was still looking at the medallion.

"He looked up at the soldier and said, 'Look, you gave me yours, I'll give you mine,' and he reached around neck and pulled off a large silver cross," Hanson said.

Williams gave his "unequivocal" support to troops, many of whom have posted photos of themselves with Williams on the USO's Facebook page, Hanson said.

"He was as energetic as you might imagine," Hanson said. "He loved going on our tours and meeting troops and finding out more about them. It was clear to the troops that he was interested in them, from the troops who came backstage to talk about their own sobriety issues to their experiences with AA and the support that he gave them."

The troops will miss Williams, Hanson said.

"The entire of Department of Defense community mourns the loss of Robin Williams," Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a statement on Monday.

"Robin was a gifted actor and comedian, but he was also a true friend and supporter of our troops. From entertaining thousands of service men and women in war zones, to his philanthropy that helped veterans struggling with hidden wounds of war, he was a loyal and compassionate advocate for all who serve this nation in uniform. He will be dearly missed by the men and women of DoD — so many of whom were personally touched by his humor and generosity."

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A New Tour of Duty: The USO's Evolving Marquee

Comedian Robin Williams signs autographs for U.S. troops at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait during the USO holiday tour in December 2007. Department of Defense hide caption

Videos of Other USO Tour Stars

Fifty years ago this week, one of the Army's most famous soldiers reported for duty. He turned up at Fort Hood, Texas, sporting a fresh GI buzz cut. The Army assigned him to a tank battalion, but he did his best-known work outside the tank. His name? Elvis Presley.

Elvis, who rose to the rank of sergeant, still has fans among the troops. But today's men and women in uniform also want other sounds, USO President and CEO Ned Powell tells NPR's Liane Hansen. The heavy metal band Drowning Pool, for example, has made two USO-sponsored concert tours to Iraq.

For 67 years, the United Service Organization has been putting on concerts and other events to boost the morale of American troops stationed around the globe. During World War II, Bob Hope was a favorite. Elvis didn't perform at any USO events – though Powell thinks The King probably did take advantage of USO coffee and doughnuts.

These days, the USO produces shows by bands, football players and comics – like Robin Williams, who performed at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait in December 2007. In the middle of Williams' routine, a trumpet sounded and his entire audience turned their backs to him to salute a U.S. flag as it was lowered.

"I've never had an entire audience just go, 'Forget you!'" Williams quipped.

Besides the concerts and performances, the USO also sponsors things like care packages, phone cards and "USO in a BOX," a new program that sends CD players, TV sets and other electronic gear to troops in far-flung locations.

"You get over there, and you'll get almost anywhere on the front lines and people say, 'Does anyone back there know we're still here?' " Powell says. "And our point is very simple: Yes, we do."

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Fake news show in real war zone, the impact of war, spending your christmas in a war zone.

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Comedian Robin Williams performs during the USO holiday tour on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Dec.15, 2010.

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• Value of Service
• Taking Care of Our People
• FY 2025 Defense Budget
• National Defense Strategy

The Department of Defense provides the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security.