In The Trenches (4\03 RAW Magazine Article)

[Enigma 0]

RAW Magazine

 

April 2003

 

In The Trenches

 

Bradshaw Visits The Troops Of Operation Enduring Freedom

 

by Brian Solomon

 

Immediately following the tragic events of September 11, 2001, there was no WWE personality more outspoken in his opinions than Bradshaw. On SmackDown! that week, his strong comments regarding terrorism, Osama bin Laden, and the Taliban were among the most memorable aspects of the program. That's one of the reasons it was very fitting that Bradshaw was selected to represent WWE as part of a group of American entertainers who visited soldiers in Afghanistan and Kuwait.

 

Bradshaw has followed the progress of Operation Enduring Freedom and its efforts to combat terrorism at its sources. Last year, while on a goodwill tour for WWE that took him to such places as Egypt and Austrailia, he was contacted by WWE's talent relations department and asked if he was willing to extend the tour to the frontline of the war on terror. At the time, he had already been contemplating just such an extension of the trip, and so was thrilled to be a part of it--despite having to cancel a Cancun vacation he and his wife had been planning.

 

The top priority of the tour was stopping at all the special operations bases, where troops had never been visited before by entertainers. From Afghan cities like Kabul and Kandahar, Bradshaw would board a Black Hawk helicopter bound for these special ops locations deep in the desert.

 

"It's amazing to actually see what goes on in person, and the living conditions they have," says Bradshaw. "It's not like it's horrible conditions--the military takes as good care of these guys as they can--but when you have to set up 5,000 people overnight, what you wind up with is tents in the sand, and that's about it. The longer they stay, the more they get built up. It's incredible the sacrifices these guys make so that we can sit over here and have freedom of speech or whatever the hell we wanna have."

 

Stopping to see as many bases as he could, Bradshaw spent most of his days having lunch with the troops. In the evening, he and the others would put on a performance and then sign autographs into the night. In some places like Kabul, he was among the only entertainers to appear before the troops. For Bradshaw, the experience was an unforgettable one.

 

"I've always been a big fan of our military," he says. "My father served, my uncles fought in World War II, my brother was a Marine. I loved being over there with troops. They're just good guys. As soon as I met them, it was like I'd known them a long time. They're my kind of people.

 

"It was eye-opening. Some of these guys are fighting every single day, which kind of surprised me. They've got a pretty big battle going on right now over there. While we were in Afghanistan, they had lost a couple of troops--one in a firefight, one to a grenade. It was surprising how much fighting they were actually doing. Basically, we were in a war zone."

 

"I certainly don't regret being outspoken," Bradshaw says. "I back the troops, and I back America just as fully as I can, and I still have terrible opinions of everyone responsible for the terror attacks (of September 11, 2001)."

 

Despite the dire circumstances, Bradshaw maintains that the morale among the men and women of Operation Enduring Freedom remains high:

 

"It's amazing to see how good the morale is. The people really know why they're there. They know that they're fighting for the cause of freedom. I hate to use this example, but it's not something like Vietnam, where they don't know exactly what they're fighting for, or if they're going to win. Those guys bleed red, white, and blue, and they're ready to go. They feel like for sure they're going into Iraq, and they're ready to do it. That's what they've been trained to do."

 

While in Kuwait, Bradshaw found himself only a few miles away from the Iraqi border. In Afghanistan, al-Qaeda fighters would sometimes cross the border from Pakistan and attempt to launch rockets into the camps.

 

"I was shocked, and I keep up with what's going on," Bradshaw says. "I was shocked at how much action was going on. I don't think it's a matter of the military trying to keep this from the American people, I think a lot of times there's just so much going on that the news agencies just don't bother reporting it. We saw troops going out every single day and night. I didn't expect it to be such a tense situation."

 

Depite his very public opinions of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, and Saddam Hussein, Bradshaw maintains that he was not concerned for his personal safety.

 

"They have bigger fish to fry," he points out. "There's a lot bigger people than me who speak out against al-Qaeda and Hussein. I certainly don't regret being outspoken. I back the troops, and I back American just as forcefully as I can, and I still have horrible opinions of everyone responsible for the terror attacks.

 

"As far as the political statements I make, they're all pro-American. They're not pro-Republican or pro-Democrat. They're what I believe is best for America. If people disagree with that, that's fine. They're entitled to their opinion, just like I am. But whether you agree with my beliefs or not, you have to believe in the military. because those guys simply are our soldiers. They're worthy of completely bipartisan support."

 

On a more light-hearted note, Bradshaw also had to face a cold, hard reality of life in Muslim nations: the prohibition of alcohol. During his stay in Kuwait and Afghanistan, the big Texan was unable to get his hands on so much as a lite beer. While stationed there, all U.S. soldiers must do without booze of any kind out of the respect for the customs and beliefs of the country's citizens. Needless to say, the man was not happy about it.

 

"My liver went into remission," he joked. "It was terrible. I understand that there's no alcohol allowed in a combat zone. But as far as a place like Kuwait that's not considered a combat zone, I don't believe that we should be bound by another country's traditions, because technically, that base is our soil. If the guys wanna have a cold beer, I think they should be allowed to have it.

 

"I'll tell you what. You wanna get a war started with Iraq, just give these boys a bottle of Jack Daniel's, and I promise they'll invade the sumbitch by Saturday night!"

[cawthon777 0]

Pretty good read. I have a lot of respect for Bradshaw for going over there.