FOX Sports Midwest and the Cardinals pay tribute to troops and their families on Thursday, July 25
Annual “This One’s For You” telecast will showcase the Missouri National Guard’s 1-135th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion
What: This One’s For You, FOX Sports Midwest’s annual Cardinals telecast to troops
When: Thursday, July 25; game broadcast starts at 6 p.m. CT/3:30 a.m. Afghanistan time
Where: At Busch Stadium in St. Louis and on TV on FOX Sports Midwest. Troops in Afghanistan and throughout the world will watch on American Forces Network.
The Missouri National Guard’s 1-135th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion is deploying to Afghanistan. These soldiers will get a chance to connect with their families – and be recognized by the community – on Thursday, July 25 when FOX Sports Midwest and the St. Louis Cardinals present their annual This One’s For You telecast to troops.
American Forces Network will transmit FOX Sports Midwest’s telecast of the Cardinals game vs. Philadelphia to U.S. troops throughout the world. The telecast will feature interviews with soldiers of the Missouri National Guard’s 1-135th; some have been deployed to Afghanistan, while others are in training. The broadcast will also include interviews with some of their family members; more than 300 family members will be at the game at Busch Stadium.
“FOX Sports Midwest and the Cardinals have been tireless supporters of our Guardsmen and their Families,” said Maj. Gen. Steve Danner, adjutant general of Missouri. “The chance to connect through our national pastime is an incredible morale booster, not only for our Soldiers and Airmen serving abroad, but for their loved ones who sacrifice so much here at home.”
Cardinals fans are encouraged to participate in the event via social media and by bringing signs to Busch. Fans will be able to Tweet greetings to troops to @FSMidwest and @Cardinals with the hash tag #ThisOnesForYou. Tweets may be shown on TV. Instagram images and videos may be shown on the video board at Busch.
More than 300 soldiers from the Missouri National Guard’s 1-135thAttack Reconnaissance Battalion are on a yearlong deployment to Afghanistan. An advance unit is currently in Mazar I Sharif, Afghanistan. Other soldiers are in mobilization training in Fort Hood, Texas, in preparation for the journey to Afghanistan. The unit is commanded by Lt. Col. James P. Schreffler and Command Sgt. Maj. David C. Gail.
The Missouri National Guard’s 1-135th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, headquartered at Whiteman Air Force Base, has a rich history as an Army Aviation Battalion within the Missouri National Guard. The battalion has trained with the UH-1 Huey, OH-58A/C Kiowa, AH-1F Cobra and the AH-64A Apache helicopters. It has evolved into an AH-64D Longbow Apache unit and has completed two successful annual training gunnery exercises and one high altitude mountainous environment training exercise.
Promotion for This One’s For You began in early July on FOX Sports Midwest. It features country music superstar and American Idol judge Keith Urban and his song For You – a song about the sacrifices made by soldiers. Urban also recorded a greeting for the troops that will be shown during the broadcast.
This One’s For You is produced by FOX Sports Midwest in coordination with the Cardinals, American Forces Network and the Missouri National Guard. This is the fourth straight year, and sixth overall, in which FOX Sports Midwest will present This One’s For You.
“Our goal is to give these troops a taste of home via Cardinals baseball, and to recognize the sacrifice made by these members of our communities and their families,” said FOX Sports Midwest General Manager and Senior Vice President Jack Donovan.
