Just got back from a Braves game, where I am on the grounds crew for the summer, and got to see the army "Silver Wings". It was almost like a saturday night live episode. We have had the Leap Frogs jump in to the stadium a few times and even some former Leap Frogs dressed up as Elvis. After seeing the two, there is no comparison. I was a little dissapointed with our "Memorial Day" special. I walked in to our locker room to find one of the silver wings dressed in his fligh suit that looked like something out of the movie Firefox. Multiple zippers that went down the length and tight legs that went all the way down to a pair of power ranger boots. He was yelling on the radio, "Can you hear me? I can hear you!", over and over again. It reminded me of a cell phone commercial. Three guys jumped in and none of them even got close to their target. The guy with the flag almost landed in the other teams bullpen. The announcer had a sheet that I thought had everything he was supposed to say on it, but apparently he wasn't reading the sheet because what he said was almost incoherent. He kept repeating, "skydiving is really hard!". As they were coming down he would announce how many jumps each man had and it was like 4-500. (The Leap Frogs told me they do 6 jumps a day 5 days a week for 3 months before they go on the road.)
The SEALs on the other hand almost all hit the middle of their target (wind was not a factor on either day), and one guy brought the game ball in landing on the mound. Their announcer, a SWO, was great and really worked the crowd.
Now the 21 gun salute was an embarrassment. I should start by saying they were Air Force. The close order drill was pretty bad... Even for a middie. 7 of them fired 3 times or so it would seem. I had to run out there and collect the brass afterwards and there were only 11 empty blanks. When I checked I was told there where only 11 rounds because they didnt bring enough. I kinda felt jipped.
I don't understand how one branch's PR teams could be so polar opposite. The Leap Frogs were everything you could hope for, while the Army was well... less than what you would hope for. I won't even mention the Air Force because I was just happy none of them died of heat stroke marching out there.
The SEALs on the other hand almost all hit the middle of their target (wind was not a factor on either day), and one guy brought the game ball in landing on the mound. Their announcer, a SWO, was great and really worked the crowd.
Now the 21 gun salute was an embarrassment. I should start by saying they were Air Force. The close order drill was pretty bad... Even for a middie. 7 of them fired 3 times or so it would seem. I had to run out there and collect the brass afterwards and there were only 11 empty blanks. When I checked I was told there where only 11 rounds because they didnt bring enough. I kinda felt jipped.
I don't understand how one branch's PR teams could be so polar opposite. The Leap Frogs were everything you could hope for, while the Army was well... less than what you would hope for. I won't even mention the Air Force because I was just happy none of them died of heat stroke marching out there.
