thedrifter
03-11-07, 09:08 AM
Buffalo Jills take show on the road
By Cpl. Adam Johnston, 2nd Marine Division
AL ASAD, Iraq - (Mar. 11, 2007) -- With a record of seven wins and nine losses, the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills didn’t make it to the playoffs this past year. For the players, next season can’t come soon enough. But for their cheerleaders, the Buffalo Jills, there is no off-season.
Eight members of the Buffalo Jills cheerleading squad recently performed in front of a packed house here at the base auditorium.
“From the moment I heard they were coming, I knew I wanted to go,” said Lance Cpl. Steven L. Deveglio, a data networking systems specialist with Marine Wing Support Group 27. “I’m not a huge football person, but I’m a big cheerleader fan.”
Al Asad was the Jills’ last stop on their 10-day tour of military bases in Iraq, which included appearances at Al Qaim, Taqaddum, Hit and Korean Village.
“It’s a lot different here than I expected,” said Emily A. Shade, a three-year veteran of the Buffalo Jills. “They only show the bad stuff on TV back home. This trip was a real eye-opener.”
Shade’s boyfriend, an infantryman with the Ohio-based 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, recently returned home from a seven-month deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Though she’s heard stories from him about what it’s like over here, seeing it for herself gave Shade a whole new perspective.
“We stayed in one of Saddam’s palaces,” said Shade, a native of Tonawanda, N.Y. “I was shocked to see the difference between how he lived and how his people merely survived. It made me realize just how much they need us here.”
Like Shade, this was Deveglio’s first time in-country. It’s also his first time away from the wife.
“You’d think she wouldn’t want me to go,” said Deveglio, a native of Bay Shore, N.Y. “But she’s been really cool about it. She told me to take some good pictures.”
In-between dance routines, a select few were lucky enough to participate in a series of mini-games. One of which gave service members the “ultimate” Jills experience. Three words – skirt, wig, and lipstick.
“I’ve seen their itinerary,” Deveglio said. “They’ve only got a few hours to themselves each day. Knowing the dangers involved, it’s awesome that they volunteered to come over here, just to show us a good time.”
Performing in front of 74,000 screaming fans might be exciting for some, but for Shade, it doesn’t even compare.
“The fans are there to watch football; but these guys are here for us,” explained Shade. “I can’t count how many times I’ve had Marines come up to me, saying that our show had made their day. We just wanted to thank everyone, in person, for their service.”
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200731153446/$file/Jills---1lowres.jpg
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200731162238/$file/Jills---4lowres.jpg
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200731162956/$file/Jills---5lowres.jpg
By Cpl. Adam Johnston, 2nd Marine Division
AL ASAD, Iraq - (Mar. 11, 2007) -- With a record of seven wins and nine losses, the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills didn’t make it to the playoffs this past year. For the players, next season can’t come soon enough. But for their cheerleaders, the Buffalo Jills, there is no off-season.
Eight members of the Buffalo Jills cheerleading squad recently performed in front of a packed house here at the base auditorium.
“From the moment I heard they were coming, I knew I wanted to go,” said Lance Cpl. Steven L. Deveglio, a data networking systems specialist with Marine Wing Support Group 27. “I’m not a huge football person, but I’m a big cheerleader fan.”
Al Asad was the Jills’ last stop on their 10-day tour of military bases in Iraq, which included appearances at Al Qaim, Taqaddum, Hit and Korean Village.
“It’s a lot different here than I expected,” said Emily A. Shade, a three-year veteran of the Buffalo Jills. “They only show the bad stuff on TV back home. This trip was a real eye-opener.”
Shade’s boyfriend, an infantryman with the Ohio-based 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, recently returned home from a seven-month deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Though she’s heard stories from him about what it’s like over here, seeing it for herself gave Shade a whole new perspective.
“We stayed in one of Saddam’s palaces,” said Shade, a native of Tonawanda, N.Y. “I was shocked to see the difference between how he lived and how his people merely survived. It made me realize just how much they need us here.”
Like Shade, this was Deveglio’s first time in-country. It’s also his first time away from the wife.
“You’d think she wouldn’t want me to go,” said Deveglio, a native of Bay Shore, N.Y. “But she’s been really cool about it. She told me to take some good pictures.”
In-between dance routines, a select few were lucky enough to participate in a series of mini-games. One of which gave service members the “ultimate” Jills experience. Three words – skirt, wig, and lipstick.
“I’ve seen their itinerary,” Deveglio said. “They’ve only got a few hours to themselves each day. Knowing the dangers involved, it’s awesome that they volunteered to come over here, just to show us a good time.”
Performing in front of 74,000 screaming fans might be exciting for some, but for Shade, it doesn’t even compare.
“The fans are there to watch football; but these guys are here for us,” explained Shade. “I can’t count how many times I’ve had Marines come up to me, saying that our show had made their day. We just wanted to thank everyone, in person, for their service.”
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200731153446/$file/Jills---1lowres.jpg
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200731162238/$file/Jills---4lowres.jpg
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200731162956/$file/Jills---5lowres.jpg