NFL-USO tour to take place in Japan

New Orleans Saints safety JOHNATHAN ABRAM and Baltimore Ravens linebacker ROQUAN SMITH, will embark on a week-long, National Football League (NFL) – United Service Organizations (USO) tour to Japan to visit U.S. troops and their families at military bases, the NFL announced.

An extension of the NFL’s Salute to Service, this year’s NFL-USO tour will visit, an Air Force base, and Marine bases, with a focus on seeing an array of base activities, including unit visits, one-on-one meetings for mission briefings, and hosting NFL PLAY 60 camps onsite. Additionally, each of the players will have the opportunity to spend time with service members and their families, having the unique experience to see a day in the life of our Nation’s heroes.

“We’re proud to participate in another USO Tour and excited to be able to travel internationally with the USO for the first time since the pandemic,” said Anna Isaacson NFL SVP of Social Responsibility. “The NFL takes great pride in supporting the military community year-round through Salute to Service and we think these tours are a great way for our players to interact with servicemembers and thank them face-to-face for the sacrifices they make to protect our country.”

For over 50 years, the NFL and USO have worked together to support the military by connecting them to family, home and country throughout their service to the nation. In 1966, the NFL teamed with the USO and became the first sports organization to send players on a tour to Vietnam and other parts of the Far East. Participation has spanned across generations—more than 250 NFL players, coaches and executives, including TERRY BRADSHAW, DREW BREES, BILL COWHER, LARRY FITZGERALD, CAMERON JORDAN, VON MILLER and JASON WITTEN, have traveled on USO tours to 27 countries to thank more than 100,000 service members.

“The USO is proud to partner with the NFL to help bring a ‘sense of home’ to service members and their families across the globe,” said Christopher Plamp, USO Senior Vice President of Operations, Programs and Entertainment. “We are always excited for the opportunity to bring NFL players to overseas bases, where service members and their families are often far away from loved ones. It’s partners like the NFL that make our mission at the USO possible.”

In addition to tours both overseas and domestically, the NFL, through its Salute to Service initiative, has partnered with the USO to express gratitude to the Armed Forces and to bring communities of fans and supporters together to give more than thanks to the military. Leveraging American football as the cornerstone of the partnership, the USO and NFL honor, empower and connect service members and military families. Through support of USO center expansions, most recently USO Pituffik (formerly Thule) in the fall of 2022, holiday programming and a variety of other events and activations, the NFL helps to deliver sports, entertainment and gaming to troops called to serve missions around the world.

For more information on the USO, please visit uso.org.

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About Salute to Service: Salute to Service is the NFL’s year-long commitment to Honor, Empower and Connect our nation’s service members, veterans and their families. Since 2011, this effort has raised more than $65 million for military and veteran support organizations, such as the Bob Woodruff­ Foundation (BWF), Pat Tillman Foundations (PTF), Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), United Service Organizations (USO) and Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP). For more information on Salute to Service, visit NFL.com/Salute.

About the USO: The USO strengthens America’s military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country, throughout their service to the nation. At hundreds of locations worldwide, we are united in our commitment to connect our service members and their families through countless acts of caring, comfort and support. The USO is a private nonprofit organization, not a government agency. Our programs, services and entertainment tours are made possible by the American people, the support of our corporate partners, and the dedication of our volunteers and staff. To join us in this important mission and learn more about the USO, please visit USO.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.