The Untold Truth Of Emily Compagno

Publish date: 2024-05-18

Emily Compagno might not have seen any military action as a member of the U.S. Air Force. But she did get to spend a fortnight in Baghdad entertaining the troops. Yes, back in her cheerleading days, the Californian and four other NFL pom-pom shakers headed to Iraq where she gained a deeper understanding of what it is like to fight for your country.

In a piece on her family history for Fox News, Compagno recalled, "It blew me away how isolated these soldiers were — and how young they were. And I was humbled and impacted by the reasons they shared for their signing up, which included family hardship and desperation."

The political science graduate, who served as a cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders, believes that her routines helped such men with their homesickness: "The primary reason for our being there was to boost morale and show them how America cared — to give these brave soldiers a bit of home, a bit of normalcy, in their chaotic world." Sadly, one of the soldiers, Sgt. Timothy David, died, while another, Lt. Col. Karcher, lost his legs after their vehicle drove over an IED.

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