When I left my house early Wednesday morning, I really didn't quite know what I was getting into. My Agent had lined up this event for me to perform in Fort Campbell Kentucky and told me they were going to take me in Helicopters and shoot some crazy guns. The whole event was for the families and soldiers that have lost their lives fighting for our country, and it taught kids all kinds of safety precautions and just to have a fun day. I knew this was going to be an amazing experience, but I didn't expect it to get this gnarly. Now that it's all said and done, I can honestly say this whole experience has really humbled me in my everyday life and after meeting these brave men and women, I feel so honored that I was a part of it.
I first arrived at the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (airborne) Thursday around noon, and I was a day early so they gave me a private tour of the facilities and walked me threw some of the helicopters they use in the field. I was introduced to some of of the highest ranking officers and it was really a pleasure to talk with them and hear their stories. Now these are the people that we're in incidents like the movie "Blackhawk Down", just to give you an idea how gnarly these guys really are. Unfortunately we were also getting pounded with rain the entire day, so my chances of riding were looking very slim. I guess it had been raining there constantly the week prior so I was kind of bummed on that.
A handful of celebrities were on hand Friday to show their support and sign autographs. Former WCW wrestler Bill Goldberg, Famous car show host and builder Lu Santiago, Winter X-Games Gold Medalist Joe Parsons, country star Emma Jenson, NFL's Tennessee Titans, and myself we're all there to make this event a success. Although I didn't get to ride, I had my ramp and tent setup with 2 display bikes and had a very presentable autograph booth for everyone to see. I had some really nice looking autograph posters to hand out and signed heaps of them for all the kids!
At 2 o'clock the event came to a close, and it was time to fire up the massive Chinook (heli) and take us for a ride. We headed out over the 103,000 acres and when we arrived to the range, it was like seeing something straight from the movies. Blown up tanks, shredded metal, and the aftermath of gun fire was apparent all over this open area. I fired a M4 semi auto, 9mm pistol, .50 cal sniper rifle that was aimed at a target over a mile away, and this INSANE mini gun that shoots 3,000 rounds per minute. I'm not really into guns, but this was just soooo intense. It's not every day you get the opportunity to fire weaponry like this, and it's definitely something that I will not soon ever forget.
There was no way I was going to leave Kentucky without getting a good shred, so I hauled buns a few hours north to Pro rider Zac Willetts house. He's been racing motocross his whole life and now concentrates on TT and supermoto. We found a spot for me to set up my ramp, and I talked Zac into jumping the ramp for his first time. He was pretty intimidated, but I was like his Mr. Miyagi and guided him through and he handled it like a champ! It takes a lot of guts to jump as high as we do, and he was stoked that he didn't back down. Needless to say we got an awesome ride in and got some killer shots!
This Kentucky trip turned out to be a lot more than I could have ever imagined. It's difficult to put into words the feelings and emotions I was experiencing when meeting these people and doing the things we did. It was surely a big reality check for myself, getting to see firsthand some of the things our soldiers go through to keep our country safe and retain our freedoms. Thank you everyone from the 160th Special Operations Regiment, and thank you to all men and women in the service who risk their lives day in and day out to keep this country safe.