Colts' Chuck Pagano, Andrew Luck, and Dwayne Allen Joining USO Trip

Three notable members of the Indianapolis Colts organization are heading overseas this offseason, and for a good reason.  Head coach Chuck Pagano, quarterback Andrew Luck, and tight end Dwayne Allen will be a part of a group of NFL players and celebrities joining Admiral James Winnefeld Jr. on a USO Tour.

Also going on the trip are Pittsburgh Steelers guard David DeCastro (Luck's former teammate at Stanford), American Idol alumni Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young, American film, stage and television actor Dennis Haysbert, Miss America 2015 Kira Kazantsev, platinum recording artist and season 11 "American Idol" winner Phillip Phillips, and motion picture and television personality Jason "Wee Man" Acuna.

It will be an eight-day, seven-country tour that will "bring the best of sports, music, television and film together to visit troops and their families."  It is "designed to be a moment-filled trip complete with hi-energy shows and memorable base visits, the eight-day, seven-country USO Spring Troop Visit."

This will be the third and final tour led by Admiral James Winnefeld Jr., the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  "America's military - men and women who represent the best of our communities - is serving in all corners of globe to protect our great nation and our freedoms," Winnefeld said.  "As we embark on this eight-day, seven-country USO tour, our group of athletes and entertainers will express their personal gratitude to those serving by sharing their talents. This tour is particularly significant to Mary and me, as this is our last USO tour in this position as the Vice Chairman. We look forward to visiting America's sons and daughters who keep our nation safe and showing them that they will always have the support of those they serve."

This is the first such trip for the trio of Colts, and it's nice to see them using part of their offseason to encourage America's armed forces.  We often hear about the negatives from players off-the-field, but the Colts have very strong leadership off-the-field, and Pagano, Luck, and Allen are three examples of that.