Central Coast native, now NFL Cheerleader, helps spread joy

Righetti alumni Courtney Moore, center right, has been helping the troops overseas by working with an entertainment group that visits US military personnel all over the world.

Courtney Moore’s dance skills has taken the Righetti grad to places few are ever lucky enough to experience. 

Since graduating from Righetti in 2003 Moore has built a wonderful life in Seattle, Washington.

Making a living as a concierge and dance choreographer, Moore has also spent the last four seasons as a member of the Sea Gals, the dance squad that appears at all home Seattle Seahawk football games.

The daughter of longtime former baseball and tennis coach and retired teacher at Righetti, Doak Moore, Courtney was a cheerleader at the school and has been involved in dancing since she was just four years old.

Adding even more substance to the glitz and glamour of her life as a cheerleader, is her education. Moore also earned a degree in history from UCSB.

She was voted the Sea Gal of the Year in 2009 and has performed all over the world promoting the Seahawks organization.

In the last two offseasons, Moore has done something as a member of the Sea Gals that has given her a better understanding of the armed services.

Earlier this year, Moore and seven other Sea Gals, along with fourth-year Seahawks cornerback Roy Lewis and comedian Brian Ricci, went on a 10-day tour of three bases to entertain the troops as part of the Armed Forces Entertainment Organization.

According to its website, Armed Forces Entertainment is an official Department of Defense agency which provides entertainment to U.S. military personnel overseas, supporting soldiers, airmen, Marines and sailors by bringing them a little taste of home while abroad.

Entertainment has long been one of the biggest morale boosters for all the United States. military personnel serving overseas. Just ask the USO.

“We had 13 flights in 13 days,” Moore explained recently in a phone conversation. “But it was well worth it.”

Last year, Moore and her group performed at some bases in Europe, but this time, the trek took them to Kosovo, Bahrain and Djibouti on the continent of Africa.

“We spent three days at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo,” Moore said. “It was five degrees and we arrived under blizzard conditions.

“The barracks that we stayed in were basically storage units and the morale was pretty low.”

But Moore and her troupe proved they were troopers too. The show went on and the soldiers couldn’t have been more thankful to have the entertainment.

“Visiting with all the soldiers really makes you feel proud to be an American,” Moore said. “I will never take for granted the luxuries we have here in the States and it’s all because of the sacrifices of our military people who perform a selfless act defending our country while being away from their families.

“It was nice to be able to bring a little bit of home to them and help boost morale.”

KING5.com (February 21, 2012): Seattle Seahawks Sea Gal cheerleaders, Seattle Seahawk Roy Lewis and comedian Bryan Ricci visit Marines with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit and sailors aboard USS Makin Island.

Marines with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit and sailors get a visit from the Seattle Seahawks Sea Gal cheerleaders, comedian Bryan Ricci, and Seattle Seahawk Roy Lewis aboard USS Makin Island Feb. 13.

Helicopter mechanic and Kingston, Wash., native Cpl. Jack E. Dowers has lunch with Seattle Seahawks cheerleaders Stephanie, left, and Courtney during the Sea Gals’ visit aboard USS Makin Island here Feb. 13.

Seattle Seahawks Sea Gal cheerleaders, comedian Bryan Ricci, and Seattle Seahawk Roy Lewis arrive in a CH-53E Super Stallion to visit Marines with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit and sailors aboard USS Makin Island Feb. 13.

Seattle Seahawks cheerleader Heidi autographs a picture for 33-year-old optics technician Sgt. Felix A. Cervantes during the Sea Gals’ visit aboard USS Makin Island here Feb. 13. Cervantes, a Crown Point, Ind., native, serves with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Seahawks.com: Eight of the Sea Gals put on a show at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in front of friends and family to rehearse routines before traveling abroad to entertain our troops in foreign countries. [Click here to watch the video]

By Joshua Love
Titans Online
Jan 24, 2012

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Mission Accomplished! Titans Cheerleaders Brintley, Jalanda, Jessi, Stormi, Tanzye, and Titans Cheerleader Alumni and 2007 Pro Bowl Representative, Jennifer, have made it home safely after a weeklong goodwill trip visiting military bases in Kuwait.

Photos: Gallery 1 | Gallery 2

Sponsored by the Morale, Wellness, and Recreation (MWR) department of the military and accompanied by Pro Sports MVP, the six ladies visited Camp Arifjan, Camp Virginia, Camp Buehring, Camp Morrell, Ali Al Salem Air Base (The Rock), and Camp Patriot. On each stop, our very own Titans Cheerleaders treated the troops to a one-hour variety show performance, which involved singing, dancing and interactive skits.

“Being able to bring a smile to the troops and let them know that Americans still support them was the highlight for me,” said Titans Cheerleader Stormi. “If Stacie (Director of Cheerleaders) said she needed people to go to Iraq next week, I would be the first one to volunteer. I would never pass up an opportunity like this again.”

Stormi is also the wife of an active duty officer stationed at Fort Campbell, who will be deployed this coming summer. Additionally, she works for the USO on base, serving as one of the Titans most military-involved cheerleaders.

Each day in Kuwait was accompanied with a new adventure, a new exciting task, and meeting new wonderful people who are serving our country. Among the numerous incredible activities in which the cheerleaders participated were visiting a K-9 unit and assisting a few Airmen in building a temporary hanger. They also flew in a Blackhawk helicopter with the 1-108th AV Brigade, and ate dinner each night alongside U.S. troops. Additionally, the ladies visited the wounded in the military hospitals and were able to meet our own Tennessee National Guard Unit in Camp Arifjan.

“I knew that this experience would be enlightening, however, I was not prepared for the emotion that came with you standing face to face with the men and women that sacrifice their time with their families to protect our country,” cheerleader Tanzye said. “As a teacher, I have a special place in my heart for the soldiers that left their children to serve. I will forever be in their debt and they will forever be in my prayers.”

The goodwill trip was an effort to show support, appreciation and love to our men and women serving in Kuwait by offering a small piece of home to our fellow Americans on the other side of the world.

Titans Alumni Cheerleader, Jennifer said, “I didn’t want to come home. It was an extraordinary, life-changing experience, one that I will remember forever. Our military is, without a doubt, filled with our nation’s finest individuals.”

“It is amazing to visit our troops when they are serving our country,” said Stormi. “I think we each got something different out of the trip. It brought comfort to me knowing when my husband deploys to Afghanistan this summer, hopefully someone will be able to bring a piece of home to him while he’s there.”

TitansOnline.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Arriving in Kuwait this past Saturday after a marathon 14-hour flight, Titans Cheerleaders Brintley, Jalanda, Jessi, Stormi, Tanzye, and Titans Cheerleader alumni and 2007 Pro Bowl Representative, Jennifer, are more than halfway complete with their week-long goodwill tour of Kuwait Army Bases.

• Photos

The goodwill tour is sponsored by the Moral, Wellness, and Recreation (MWR) department of the military. The tour includes greeting and dining with troops, learning day-to-day duties of certain departments and performing a variety show created specifically for this trip.

Having performed at Camp Virginia, Camp Buehring, and LSA, Brian Lee, tour director with Pro Sports MVP, said everything has gone very well so far.

“The girls have had great turnouts and the troops love the shows,” he said. “The shows with the interactive skits, Jessi’s singing and the great dance routines are a big hit!”

In addition to performing, the ladies are enjoying their time greeting soldiers and a K-9 unit, along with visiting wounded veterans. They also helped a few Airmen build a temporary hanger!

The Cheerleaders are currently beginning a show at Ali Al Salem Air Base (The Rock) today and undoubtedly, these troops are sure to enjoy it as well.

St. Louis Rams
December 29, 2011

Recently, five St. Louis Rams cheerleaders and team mascot Rampage traveled to the Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBML) in Washington to bring some holiday joy to the men and women serving our country and working together to keep JBML as one of the most successful joint bases. Jessica, Jennifer, Emily S., Shannon and Jayne adventured to the base for a weekend full of events and once in a lifetime experiences.

The first stop of their visit was the fire station on base. The ladies saw the new ladder truck that the JBLM Fire Station put into service that very day. They received an inside look at the procedures and protocols for the fire fighters. Not only were they given a tour of the station, there were also able to ride in the truck, as well as the ladder bucket, up to its full 100 foot height.

For Jessica, this was one of the highlights of the trip. “As an emergency room nurse, I was honored to visit the fire station on the base and get an up close and personnel look at what pre-hospital care is all about,” she said.

Next, the group went to the McChord Main Store to sign autographs and take photos with fans. Rampage also provided lots of entertainment to the younger Rams fans on base. Rampage was the first NFL mascot to come to the Main Store to visit with soldiers and their families.

“I was also truly honored to meet the people who have sacrificed their lives to protect us, our soldiers,” said Jessica about spending time in the Main Store. “Those men and women are truly inspirational, and I am honored to have met them.”

During the meet and greet, two of the biggest Rams fans on base came out dressed from head to toe in Rams gear. They were rewarded with tickets to the Monday Night Football game in Seattle, as well as pregame field passes.

“One of my favorite moments of our trip was giving two soldiers tickets to the Rams vs. Seahawks game during one of our appearances,” Shannon said. “They were so excited to spend some time off base and cheer on the Rams at the Monday Night Football game!”

The next day, the ladies were able to experience shooting training on a gun simulator the way soldiers qualify with the M16. They got some pointers from the professionals before trying it out themselves. “We were able to get a sneak peak of the day in the life of a training soldier, and I can say that it was an eye opener for me,” said Jessica. “While visiting the gun simulation, I actually surprised myself and found that I can actually shoot an M-16. I hit not one, but several targets! I had a great experience.”

After shooting practice, they visited the unit that maintains and repairs the Howitzer gun. They were treated to a demonstration on how to load and aim the cannon-like gun and were then given the chance to try it out themselves.

After the weekend, each member of the Rams organization walked away with a memorable experience. “It is always such an honor to meet the men and women who serve in our military and personally thank them for everything they do, especially during the holidays,” said Shannon. “Visiting Joint Base Lewis-McChord allowed us to meet several military personnel. We were not only able to show our appreciation for them, but we had the chance to really get to know everyone we talked to.”