"Warriors Supporting Warriors" Football Match in Baghdad Raises Awareness, Funds

Most Americans are sound asleep at 6am on a Saturday morning.  This was not the case, however, for the servicemen and women serving in Iraq on September 13th.  Fifty of these soldiers used their off-duty time to play in the “Warriors Supporting Warriors” football scrimmage, braving Baghdad’s extreme heat and an unforgiving dirt field.  The scrimmage raised awareness and funds for the Center for Citizen Leadership (CCL) and its work on behalf of wounded veterans.

Captain Armando Kuppinger organized the match after learning about the Center from a speech given by CCL Chairman Eric Greitens last June.  Capt. Kuppinger found the CCL’s flagship initiative, The Mission Continues, particularly important because he knows that veterans are most successful when they have a mission to accomplish.  “Soldiers perform the best when given a mission,” says Kuppinger, “so when they get hit down range and can't return to the fight... they need another mission.  The Mission Continues gives them a chance to share their experiences, leadership, and courage with others.”

Kuppinger also helped to organize a simultaneous football match in his hometown of Kansas City but that game was canceled due to flooding conditions.  That game has been rescheduled for October 11th.  Kuppinger fully expects “Warriors Supporting Warriors” to expand next year.  “I’m recruiting friends to start games in the places that they’re stationed like Ft. Hood, Texas and Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.  This has been an incredible experience for me and I’m glad I was able to do my part.”