Robin Williams--Afghanistan 2003

When I deployed to Afghanistan in 2007 I got tasked with sorting through and tagging all the digital video on our shared media drives. A truly mind-numbing task, since most of it wasn't labeled, and a lot of it was briefings and training videos that were so overloaded with acronyms that even I had a hard time following it. But, occasionally there were some perks. Like when I'd run across some USO performance videos. Not sure who originally shot this but the video is tagged with CPT Michael Love, so I will go with that. Since I didn't shoot this I had no intention of Youtubing it (is that a word?), but in light of Robin Williams' untimely death this week I didn't want to keep it for myself. Make no mistake--we were immensely grateful for every USO performance we got, but most of us could also tell which ones were doing it for the press value, and which ones were doing it because they genuinely cared. Robin was definitely the latter. I think we all feel something, deeply, in the wake of his death, because he made all of us feel so much. He is gone too soon from this world, and we will all miss him. (If anyone can find CPT Love and he can lay claim to this, by all means he can put it on his KZbin channel!)

[@2Davo77]

I was there in 2002 at his first visit; everything was "open-air", and he did his routine without a mic. He wouldn't leave until anyone that wanted to shake his hand or have their picture taken with him did so. What a great guy.

[@billbill9392]

Did you kill any hajis out there?

[@ahmetdeniz4033]

@@billbill9392 I don't want to disrespect Robin Williams memory, But I have to say some for this one would you want ? You asked this after 2305 lost, isn't that enough. Now US had has to leave like russia. You have to ask just 1 Q. Why were for all that happen. TALİBAN power raise again (this US fault).wake up.

[@billbill9392]

@@ahmetdeniz4033 It was an honest question, no one hates the American government more then me, it is corrupt and exports only death and despair, I love our people but no I distrust and dislike our own government more than anyone Afghan and Vietnam is why I refuse to give up my guns, if peasants in those counties can fight off the Tyrannical united sates government then so can U.S. citizens Vote Libertarian.

[@dghhambo]

Loved the way he did uso for the troops. R.i.p.

[@vivianidelacerda9708]

Glad you came home.

[@MiltonJenkins]

Robin did it out of love for the troops.He was as unselfish as anyone in this world. I just wish we could have done for him what he did for us.

[@kopec82]

Milton Jenkins exactly

[@DCwonk]

Thanks for stating the obvious. Liked anyway

[@InitialFailure]

Well, and I know this is super late but, most would argue the most selfish thing you can do is help others or,... do his "last act".

[@fuoco1365]

His range of comedy and the way he could read his audience and cater his act to it was insane

[@anb740]

"You swallow so much dust...at the end of the day, you crap a brick!" Damn I miss this guy. The world lost an amazing gifted comedian with Robin's passing.

[@justinpeterson3686]

I was actually at this show. Robin Williams seemed like a great guy. After the show him, and Kurt Angle took pictures with everyone. It was a fun and memorable few hours.

[@Folker46590]

To bad the USO is run by idiots with little budget, this is NOTHING like the Bob Hope days, big budget and big shows not this bull shit where only 300 hundred people get to see him before he's gone. F the modern USO.

[@evenlyanxious]

@@Folker46590 Shit. I just volunteered with the USO.

[@stephilAJ]

@@Folker46590 In the Bob Hope days, everyone went to ONE location, and there would be thousands of GIs there for one or two performances. Nowadays they're more about taking the entertainers "into the field" to the FOBs for people who can't get away. That leaves people like us (the ones at the big bases) SOL, unfortunately.

[@phxazjarhead]

The USO also needs money in donations, it doesn't grow on trees.

[@Patton7790]

Cool.

[@Lavender_Cordle]

Hearing my brothers and sisters laugh is what makes me cry. Thank you Robin for the laughs and your support. Rest in paradise brother ❤️

[@grywolf99]

I just found this video. Thank you SO MUCH for posting it! Several of the people I was deployed with from the 221st Military Intelligence Battalion are in the video with me (I stand up and move to the wall around the12:38 mark). Directly after this video ended we took a group photo on stage with Mr. Williams. He and I spoke briefly and he shook my hand. A great memory. Thanks again for posting.

[@stewartnicol3028]

Anthony Sellers "military" and "intelligence" should never be used in the same sentence. If you believe in the Military you are not intelligent.

[@stevestringer7351]

Anthony Sellers thank yo for your service

[@KellyODo]

Thank you for your service Anthony Sellers!

[@KellyODo]

Stewart Nicol, get a grip and show some respect.

[@andyu69]

Kelly, lighten up. It's funny. What's the difference between pink and purple? . . . The grip

[@MrAlexkaysyou]

I love how he jumped offstage to get level with the people. Like he was WAY the fuck up on stage and just wanted to talk to these men and women rather than stay higher than them and perform. So human and kind

[@hopalongsnot]

He gets people! Those soldiers would be use to listening to an officer telling them about the next big task they have to accomplish. He takes the seriousness out, makes it personal and connects with the people by jumping down and getting close to them. He's a master of reading people and overlaying funny jokes over a :common feeling that the crowd is having to his jokes(that direction is drivin' by, and tries to make light of the incredibly dangerous situations these service men and women deal with everyday). A true master of intuitive comedy manipulation and an incredibly nice guy. RIP

[@Patton7790]

I agree. He loves them and they love him. Very special and wonderful to see.

[@jrwheeler81]

Robin always had so much love and respect for the troops. You couldn't have paid most celebrities enough to go to Afghanistan, but he went multiple times. Such a class act. Miss him so much.

[@williampaterson3291]

Thank you for posting this video. Robin was a Wonderful human being with a great talent and a social conscience. His death has been a real loss to us all. Thank you Robin for bringing so much laughter and joy into our lives. R.I.P. Robin

[@Patton7790]

Maybe a reason to Unite again.

[@alexthompson9516]

His ability to connect with any audience is pretty incredible.

[@jimwilliams1536]

Man! he could get the measure of a crowd in microseconds.

[@Patton7790]

Nailed it.

[@burning167]

I've been watching a bunch of Robin Williams lately. This one most definitely has to be my favorite USO tour clip. "Shhh!!! There's Marines!"

[@chefbuns]

First of all, THANK YOU for your service!!! Second, thank you for posting this!! I just recently watched something of Robin's and am now on a massive Robin Williams kick. I almost forgot that he had died because he was/is so "present" in all of our lives!! I am ashamed to say that even with my history working for USMC for years and even having been married to a Marine who deployed three times I was unaware of Robin's USO tours until after his death! Thank you for giving us a glimpse into Robin that most of us, even the "informed" ones, were unaware of!!!

[@maucommaero2368]

What a great human being! I miss him still.

[@dragannagard9682]

One man Army R.I.P Robin forever in my heart . The light in the dark .

[@BaseFury]

Being a Public Affairs NCO at Camp Pendleton in the early 80's, we had to take care of a lot of stars of the day. The KOOL Concert Series was all that. Lou Rawls, Kool And The Gang, George Benson, et al. ALL tremendous people. ALL WANTED to be there. Was a grand time in my life. :)

[@Patton7790]

Cool. I can only imagine whom you saw. How tough was brass on what stars were put on? Could for example, George Carlin come in those days?

[@mike617]

Wish I got to see him during one of my tours...rip to one of the greats, thank your for your support

[@joshuakrimplut5831]

thanks for posting this! robin Williams was one of a kind and he loved the troops

[@JohnJohnson-ok4gf]

Three years without Robin... A fact as sad today as it was on the day we found out.

[@starrmtn001]

God, I miss Robin.

[@egosumhomovespertilionem]

What a great human being. He is missed.

[@kingofmetal1961]

Thank you for everyone's service! Glad you made it Home. God Bless the Men & Women who didn't make it home. May you rest In peace forever!

[@patrickcrawford6392]

Such a legend! The world needs this man back

[@toomuchgarden6898]

thank you for posting this. I was at Bagraham working transit alert but missed the show. I was lucky enough to get to meet him on the flight line.

[@jimbateman225]

Robin was a true Genius. He never stopped, and had no reason to stop. The World is empty now, without him making us laugh in person. RIP Robin, and to my fellow veterans. Ooh Rah, Semper Fi.

[@erinx8278]

Thank you for sharing this. Certainly made me laugh out loud till my belly ached and miss my favorite comedian again. God bless you too for your service. :)

[@DarkHorse72]

Thanks for posting this since this one is quite unique for all the other USO shows that Robin did. He's gone too soon.

[@mikeburkholder9153]

I like how he interacts with the crowd.

[@awolff585]

god i miss u, robin

[@jody024]

thanks for posting this! i needed a good laugh

[@PeterDavid7KQ201]

People want to know why pictures of Bin Laden's body weren't released. Robin predicted why at 14:53 - 15:03

[@cwby4christ06]

He did several of these shows with the USO. He was in Bahrain in 2005. I was headed to a brief that show and had to miss it.

[@asheesht]

thanks for posting... Robin Williams is so funny!

[@АлександрКокоша-р3с]

Dedicated to the inimitable Robin Williams The humble stand-up made the world laugh. I improvised every second. He easily brought to tears Your viewer and your listener Robin Williams pedaled. And maneuvered through his life. Yes ... His path was not sinless There is versatility, you can't turn away from it Good-naturedly and energetically he lived on Earth I flew to the soldiers in the war. Responded to requests from his fans People like him are not born twice From "Happy Days" to "This is a fucking Christmas miracle" Many different roles have been played. Actor Robin Williams of various plans From comedies to snot Loved children and rare books Bicycles and computer games. Was also a geek of cinema Collected what touched him No conviction from suicide He could no longer make peace with himself. Losing memory and self-control Robin settled the score and left bitterly ... Robin's creativity does not fade away. He lives in the hearts of fans. Probably laughing with the Almighty in the sky Robin Williams will never stop ...

[@willbillingham8027]

THE comic genius of all time he was able to get a audience to relate to everything he was talking about

[@tomhamilton5261]

Robin Williams was a gift to the world. He was born to do this. Missed but never forgotten.

[@viewer3412]

Wow, This is incredible... more material from Robin WIlliams... This is great!

[@davidharrison6615]

a very very cool man . rip . thank you for making my life better for being a very tiny part of it .

[@vardellsfolly5200]

A fascinating man. Thank you for that experience. I really, really liked him.

[@foreverchaos]

I was lucky enough to be at this show and it was amazing to be there! He was such a talented actor and amazing person! Thank you for sharing this video for me to have a chance to relive this great experience with a great man!

[@zovalentine7305]

Rest in powerful peace my favorite celebrity (and homie) of all time Robin Williams ✌ 💞 🌷 🌷 🎶 ✊

[@contactkeithstack]

Miss robin, wish he could see the almost universal love for him on these videos

[@h7opolo]

thanks for uploading this.

[@eringobragh7019]

Gold. Respect to you all. Lest We Forget.

[@schlaznger8049]

Thank you for your service, I know this is very late but I appreciate it.

[@deviousfate6782]

"Kindergarteners don't have access to artillery!" 😂

[@ChaosFluff]

will be funny if they did have ( just for fun dont mean it)

[@joshuaherpolsheimer4699]

you should watch a skit with Christopher Titus called Arm the Children...kzbin.info/www/bejne/jojCeWipbtqtp68

[@ChaosFluff]

ok he is bretty funny

[@traviscummings9178]

"The Bradley is an MMV. A Massive Motherfucking Vehicle." 😂😂😂😂 Gets me every time!

[@RobinHood-hk5dk]

Thanks for sharing. Robin was very generous taking time out to entertain the troops.

[@tanyarose5881]

Thank you for posting this.

[@05Hogsrule]

We Miss YOU Robin.

[@keithburgess4088]

the World lost a genius with his departing .... he's up there somewhere giving the God's Grief! AND LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

[@STVG71]

Hokey smokes! RIP Robin. He was such a generous guy with the troops! He is missed greatly. :(

[@dragannagard9682]

Thank you for the video

[@michaeldeane9029]

Loved that man... genius

[@timothymartini9969]

Thanks for uploading S Csornok!.Had a good laugh watching this upload. Btw if that's you upfront-you are pretty indeed!!

[@dragsterfan420]

Chris Kyle middle of second row on the left side of Robin. Has a black/dark hat.

[@MASSCAL01]

dragsterfan420 Good eye! I see him now too

[@coldnovember96]

but Chris Kyle never deployed to afghanistan...

[@PaSlots]

Carlos R. Montero it could have been from his Blackwater days, he's not even wearing camo, black jacket, not even a tan t-shirt, but a black one underneath, I don't THINK any branch has a black t-shirt for pt or uniforms so he might be considered a contractor here.

[@MrAdryan1603]

dragsterfan420 Chris Kyle? The psychopath murderer? I mean, American hero..

[@Nautilus1972]

To a non-American, Kyle = mass murderer.

[@JayCreates]

Love has waited too long for you to WAKE UP. It's time to know who you are. Best of love

[@PradeepRaajkumar1981]

Miss him Badly... Humor Nuclear bomb... Man of Energy.. Cheers, Pradeep Rajkumar. Pollachi,Tamilnadu-South India.

[@UmerMumtaz]

I miss you Robin :(

[@Bridgeknapek]

Thank You for posting this S Csornok ~:]

[@garylaubscher9914]

Can he better a better person!!!What a good man...

[@rebepage]

Gosh Robin , you could have done so much more. Thank you for what you did, though. Our time bob hope.

[@normellison5347]

My son used to fly into that base. Nothing like landing on an unlighted field at night using night vision goggles hoping you don't get a SFM up the wazoo . His buddies flew Robin in from the states and said their jaws ached from laughing when they landed .

[@ionflorin4085]

he was gifted

[@ellarealestate]

Awesome! Thank you! 👍👍

[@pauloratm]

This guy was FK genious...

[@catchasmurf762]

"You're mine now Mr Bin Laayden!"

[@ryanb9873]

This is some of the funniest shit ever. RIP Robin we need you now more than ever.

[@ianfortuna9385]

GOOOOOOOOOD MORNING AFGHANISTAN

[@joshuabrooks4907]

It's a shame we lost this man so long ago.

[@gijobob1]

I was at this show with the AMMO DAWGs, Robin was great,

[@allanallain]

I look at the audience, and some of these, power to the edge, they don't even smile. They don't understand how good Robbin is. This is my concern dude. Should we stop Putin with these?

[@frenchtoast7742]

They are on duty . They are standing with guns . Maybe they can’t . Don’t know..🤷🏼‍♀️

[@the_black_rose3336]

R.I.P Robin.

[@claymationwaves]

2003 was a crazy year!

[@TedlinksChannel]

He was so funny. That was brilliant.

[@nicolaypastore]

And people think Kevin hart is funny??.Robin WIlliams was so underrated as a stand up comedian.

[@danhines2442]

Damn shame, RIP.

[@theressamurphy2996]

Miss miss you!!💜💙

[@memyselfandi1512]

SO MANY GOOD MEN AND WOMEN

[@thomasbellwood4017]

Amazing. Billy Connolly did same ‘virgins’ gag.

[@joycecummings9602]

He’s awesome so sad that he passed he had to be miserable😢😢😢😢😢😢

[@Quaker-tc8ue]

By what I’ve seen/heard/read, he *knew* something was going on besides Parkinson’s, he *knew* his behavior was becoming more than just ‘odd.’ But he also wanted to spare his family the journey of a diagnosis. He wanted to control how he died rather than allowing how he died to control him. As sad as i am that he’s gone, i respect that.

[@StevenTheAristolianNerd]

Blimp? Zack Hazard was there then. According to him the blimp had inferred tech on it, instead of it being used to see possible attack outside the base it was being used to enforce the speed limit inside the base. His channel is called MikeBurnfire for those interested.

[@johnnyb9218]

Thanks for the upload S Csornok! Btw judging by your thumbnail, is that you in the front row that hugs Robin during the performance??!

[@Mr.TheDblRnbw]

that was awesome! Tyvm 4 sharing!

[@andygossard4293]

Robin was so good the Beatles would have been the warmup act.

[@tommoclement]

Sadly missed Robin.

[@matildekimmerle6607]

2020 miss him

[@Kevin-gg2bl]

Love how he was right about bin Laden

[@SquareInsider]

He was awesome to everyone.

[@daniel38375]

how did I get here lol, I was watching Adam Kovic's guide on how to beat Heavy Metal

[@user-vt9um8mv4t]

Genius

[@rathemoor5712]

RIP Mr. Williams

[@RustinChole]

❤️❤️❤️

[@zyxmyk]

my forty-ninth birthday. wish i'd been there.

[@DementedCaver]

Thanks for posting.

[@Robbie64]

Meals ready to excrete 😂

[@traviscummings9178]

"Southern ladies are very genteel, but when they say 'Bless your heart', be very careful, because that means 'Back up, bitch'" 😂😂 He forgot to mention that if southern ladies say "Oh, honey" that's code for "Oh, you really are that stupid"

[@ianfortuna9385]

Was hoping he'd say Goooooood morning Afghanistan

[@nicidevine6670]

Old video of Robin Williams