Of the Troops and By the Troops

I thought about using my mad video editing skills to create a video tribute to the men and women in America's armed forces. However, as any glance at YouTube will reveal, there is no shortage of such works. There really isn't anything left for me to contribute. Instead, I thought I would take a moment to honor the troops by showcasing some of the videos that they made themselves to deal with the monotony of life in a combat zone.

The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing out of Al Dhafra Air Force Base in the United Arab Emirates handles air refueling, reconnaissance, and combat support for operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq. More importantly, as this video below shows, the airmen of the 380th are very hot.

The job of securing the personnel and equipment of the U.S. Air Force is done be a dedicated team of security policemen. These brave men and women are ready to handle any hostile force that approaches and, as this video below shows, they are clearly ready for American Idol.

I believe Miley Cirus will respond to this video by lip syncing the Singing Sergeants on her next tour.

While I am partial to the Air Force, (I was in the Civil Air Patrol while in high school and did Air Force ROTC in college before discovering that a hearing loss in my left ear left me ineligible to serve) I would be remiss if I didn't recognize some of the cool videos that the other branches of the military have contributed.

The U.S. Army's 1st Calvary Division is America's "First Team." It is one of the most famous and most decorated units in the U.S. Army. Of course, when the soldiers of the Cav aren't defending America and protecting our interests abroad, they have been known to show a certain amount of love for American food.

Particularly the quintessential American combination of peanut butter and jelly.

The U.S. Navy, of course, has dominated the seas for more than two centuries. While T-Pain and The Lonely Island may have become famous for being on a boat, the men and women of the America's Navy want you to know that they were doing it a lot longer than those guys.

Of course, my personal favorite comes from the Air Force (yes, I am biased). The 552nd Air Control Wing out of Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma reinvented that song to show the world that, while being on a boat is cool, it's even better to be on an E-3 AWACS.

To all that have served this great nation of ours, and all that continue to do so, thank you.

Happy Memorial Day, everyone!