In the News
TB BUCS TACKLED TROOPS IN 4 COUNTRIES IN WORLDWIDE EVENT! Click HERE!
By Addie October 23, 2008Check out Pro vs. GI Joe's Veteran's Day event on ESPN's Game Up! (segment starts at 22:00)
http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?categoryId=3208334&brand=null
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PRO VS. GI JOE, working in conjunction with the USO, held a very special World Wide video game competition with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Veteran's Day, November 11th 2008! To honor our Veterans serving all over the world, several Buccaneers played head-to-head in heated online games against troops stationed in 4 Countries around the world! The troops played from USO Centers in Germany, Japan, Kuwait and Dubai! Additionally, AirTran Airways provided FREE flights to out-of-state families so that they could attend the event and reunite with their troops via SightSpeed Video Conferencing! Everyone had a great time as we honored our Veterans all around the world and reunited as many troops as possilbe with their family members! Check out all the pics below! (If you participated or attended the event and want to share your pics with us, please email them to addie@prosvsgijoes.org!)
JoAnn and Pat Digman, mother of Marine Sgt Michael Digman, currently deployed to Ramadi Iraq. JoAnn was flown in courtesy of Air Tran Airways!
Friends and family attending the event giving a standing ovation in honor of our Veterans.
The PRO VS. GI JOE set-up at the Bucs' Training Facility in Tampa. The big screen was split between Call of Duty: World at War and live shots of the troops in the USO Centers worldwide.
Tampa Bay Buc Cato June clapping for our Vets before gearing up for his favorite game, Call of Duty: World at War!
Tampa Bay Buc Alex Smith cheering his teammate on
Cato June having some fun with Sgt Digman's mom, JoAnn
Pro vs. GI Joe raffled off Guitar Hero systems and Call of Duty: World at War prizes to friends and family during the event!
Pro vs. GI Joe co-founder Addie Zinone taking to one of the Marines' fathers as he wins the new Call of Duty game!
Cato June trying to explain what went wrong as the GIs give him a pounding!
Cato signing autographs for Vets, friends and families in attendance.
Families of airmen and Marines stationed in Japan web-chatting with their troops!
Alex Smith taking on the troops in a game of Madden 09!
Bill and Lucy Yates of Iowa web-chatting with their son, SGT James Yates, who is currently deployed to Iraq. Bill and Lucy were flown in courtesy of AirTran Airways!
JoAnn Digman chatting with her son Michael, who was playing from the USO Center at Camp Virginia Kuwait!
Alex Smith clearly enjoying his victory!
Wounded Warriors playing from the USO Center in Germany
Bill Yates and JoAnn Digman chatting as Phillip Buchanon signs autographs for their sons!
Senior Airman William Palizo took on Phillip Buchanon in a game of Madden 09 and came out victorious! Needless to say, Phillip was not pleased! Airman Palizo took home a copy of Call of Duty: World at War as well as a brand new XBox 360!
Phillip Buchanon signing the pregnant belly of Robin Parker, Airman Michael Parker's sister. Michael is stationed in Japan and hasn't seen his family for about two years. His mother Michele and his sister were flown in from Virginia courtesy of AirTran Airways!
Phillip Buchanon chatting with an Airman from Macdill Air Base located in Tampa Florida.
The pros signed autographs for all the friends and families of our Vets!
The troops were one of the first to play the incredibly popular fifth installment of Activision's blockbuster video game franchise CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR, which was officially released the day of the event! The GI's also battled the PROs at their own game as they compete in MADDEN NFL 09!
In addition to the game play, which was done in a round-robin format starting in Kuwait and traveling around the world for each game, the PROs and the GI JOEs were able to see one another via a webcam set up. We also teamed up with AirTran Airways to fly the out-of-state family members of the troops playing the PROS to the event in Tampa Bay!
After the video game competition, friends, families and fans of the GI JOEs reunited with their troops and spoke to them via SightSpeed!
The event starts at 11am EST but please be there no later than 10:45! The address is 1 Buccaneer Place in Tampa, FL 33607. All troops from the Tampa area are invited to come out and support their fellow Veterans playing all over the world! There are 50 available slots so be sure to email Ssgt Patrice Clarke, Media Relations NCOIC of the 6th Air Mobility Wing Pubic Affairs @ patrice.clarke@macdill.af.mil / DSN 968 2215 / Comm 813 828 2215 if you'd like to go!
Troops will win prizes courtesy of Activision, the producers of Guitar Hero and Call of Duty: World at War!
MEET THE GI JOE(S)!
PLAYING FROM USO CENTER CAMP VIRGINIA KUWAIT
Army SGT James Yates
Currently stationed at Joint Base Balad, Iraq
Marine Sgt Michael Digman
Maintenance Management Chief, RCT Ramadi, IRAQ 
PFC Chris Keller (not pictured)
PFC Chris Keller (not pictured)
PLAYING FROM THE USO WARRIOR CENTER IN GERMANY
(tbd)
PLAYING FROM THE USO KADENA JAPAN
Airman First Class (A1C) Michael Parker
18 CPTS/FMFC
Kadena AB Japan
Airman First Class (A1C) Jeff Russell
18 CPTS/FMFC
Kadena AB Japan
Airman First Class (A1C) Jeff Russell
18 CPTS/FMFC
Kadena AB Japan
(not pictured)
PLAYING FROM AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST
AN Nicholas Jackson, United States Navy
(not pictured)
(not pictured)
PLAYING FROM AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST
AN Nicholas Jackson, United States Navy
(not pictured)
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VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO AIRTRAN AIRWAYS AND HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS IN TAMPA FOR THE FLIGHTS AND HOTEL ROOMS FOR ALLOWING THESE MILITARY FAMILIES TO REUNITE!
