TV personality Stephen Colbert will be driven in an armored security vehicle by three soldiers from the Latham-based New York Army National Guard’s 206th Military Police Company as he salutes soldiers who served in the war in Iraq on his show airing Sept. 8
Staff Sergeant Kent Theobald of Fort Johnson, Sergeant Joshua Flint of Cherry Valley and Specialist Jeffrey Vucich from Rheinbeck will be operating an M117 Armored Security Vehicle, which the Latham unit are the only unit to have one, in an opening skit where they drive Colbert to his studio.
The Colbert people called us up and asked us if we could provide a tank, said New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs Spokesman Eric Durr. `We said we don’t have them anymore.`
He then referred them to the public affairs team in Los Angeles, California, where they approved the New York Army National Guard to help out in the special entitled `Been There, Won That: The Returnification of the American-Do Troopscape!` The public affairs team then asked if the Latham unit could provide the M117 armored car and asked for three available soldiers to help out in the skit.
`The reason the army supported it is because Colbert supports the troops,` said Durr. `He treats them well.`
The three soldiers returned from a 10-month deployment to Iraq in June, according to a press release from the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs.
There will also be another 10 members of the 53rd Troop Command of Westchester County and New York City’s 1st Battalion 69th Infantry will also be in the audience.
Durr said they asked for the show to mention the soldiers are a part of the New York Army National Guard.
The special will air at 11:30 p.m.
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