May 16, 2007

CONTACT: Reggie Borges, USO
rborges@uso.org
703-908-6458

ARLINGTON, Va. - Operation Hardwood IV will tip off at a military base in Kuwait on May 22. Teams of service members will be led by top NCAA basketball coaches and sports personalities during the tournament, taking place during the six-day visit for the coaches. The tour is sponsored by the USO and Armed Forces Entertainment (AFE). Equipment and uniforms for this tour are being provided by NIKE.

The tour participants are:

• Mike Brey, University of Notre Dame
• Ed Conroy, The Citadel
• Jim Crews, United States Military Academy (West Point)
• Dennis Felton, University of Georgia
• Fran Fraschilla, ESPN analyst and former St. John's head coach
• Mike Lonergan, University of Vermont
• Reggie Minton, Deputy Executive Director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches
• Skip Prosser, Wake Forest University

Coaches participating in Operation Hardwood III gather for a photo before last year's games.

Tom Izzo, Michigan State head coach, and Bobby Cremins, College of Charleston head coach, pose for a photo with Lt. General R. Steven Whitcomb, US Army, during Operation Hardwood III last year

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, competitive environment. It continues the USO and AFE tradition of bringing 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.

AT&T, Inc. is the official telecommunications sponsor of USO entertainment tours.

Service members comprising one of the teams of Operation Hardwood III pause to honor America during the playing of the National Anthem prior to the tip-off of the tournament.

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About the USO: For more than 66 years, the USO (United Service Organizations) has been providing morale, welfare and recreational services to U.S. military personnel and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, 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.