RIVERDALE, N.Y. ? Manhattan College head men’s basketball coach
Barry Rohrssen will join a group of NCAA basketball coaches on a tour of the Persian Gulf Region for eight days in early August as part of Operation Hardwood V. The United States Organizations (USO) and Armed Forces Entertainment (AFE) sponsor the tour.
“It is an honor to partake in such a worthwhile mission,” explains Rohrssen. “One of the only things stronger than my love for our city is my love for our country. It is with great pride to visit and spend time with the people who so bravely defend and protect our nation.”
Rohrssen will be joined by Jerry Wainwright (DePaul University), Jeff Jones (American University), Brian Gregory (University of Dayton), Tom Pecora (Hofstra University), Tom Schuberth (University of Texas-Pan American), Reggie Minton (National Association of Basketball Coaches) and Fran Fraschilla (ESPN) in this journey to the Persian Gulf Region. The tour begins with a visit to the Bethesda Naval Hospital and Walter Reed Army Medical Center where the coaches will have an opportunity to meet the amazing men and women who have been injured in combat. Operation Hardwood is an initiative launched to boost the moral among U.S. military men and women serving in the Middle East.
Operation Hardwood tours have visited bases in Kuwait and Japan over the past two years, bringing great coaches and service members together in a fun and competitive environment. It continues USO and AFE tradition to bring professional athletes and sports-related events to troops serving far from home. Last year, the USO ? as part of its Operation Links tour ? brought professional golfers to bases in Kuwait and Iraq to visit troops during Thanksgiving.
For more than 66 years, the USO (United Service Organization) has been providing morale, welfare and recreational services to U.S. military personnel and their families. The USO is a non-profit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services. The USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE Systems North America, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, DRS Technologies, Inc., Military Channel, S & K Sales Co., TriWest Healthcare Alliance and The Walt Disney Company. Other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381), have joined thousands of individual donors to support the USO. For more information on the USO, please visit our Web site at www.uso.org.