Drawing the Troops in Germany

Our band of ten National Cartoonist Society cartoonists were a little bleary eyed after an all night flight from Washington DC to Frankfurt, two 2 hour bus ride south to Landstuhl and then literally right to Ramstien Air Force Base and the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center to meet and draw for “wounded warriors” and the hard working staff of these facilities that take such good care of our injured troops.

We spent all day Friday at LRMC, making many stops in various areas to draw and chat with personnel. One stop was the DWMMC (Deployed Warrior Medical Management Center) where we drew soldiers waiting to get final word on when they were on their way either home or back into the theater. We also toured several wards meeting with injured soldiers right in their rooms, as well as drawing for staff in various conference and break rooms and other parts of the hospital. We wrapped up in the USO center on the premises and then headed back to our lodgings at Ramstien tired but fulfilled.

Today we set up at the USO center in one of the main air terminals at Ramstein and drew for soldiers and family members waiting to depart for various destinations. Thanks to printed advertisements about our visit there we had a nice crowd of military families and soldiers to draw for.

This afternoon we depart from Frankfurt for Kuwait, and the Mideast leg of our tour. I cannot be specific about our destinations, but will try and share what I can as time and internet access allow. Unfortunately I also cannot publish any photos until they are cleared by the USO.. top secret you understand. Mike Peters did some things that will have to remain classified indefinitely, but I think most of our trip will be okay to share with the rest of the world eventually. I will have much more comprehensive coverage of the trip after we get back. Here’s a small blurb about our trip in the Washington Post.