WWE Tribute to the Troops

***WWE Tribute to the Troops*** is a professional wrestling event held every year since 2003 by WWE and Armed Forces Entertainment in December around Christmas and Hanukkah. The shows are made to honor the United States military. The event features wrestlers from WWE competing in matches against each other and are free for any troop member to visit.

From its first show in 2003 until the 2009 edition, Tribute to the Troops took place on open fields in Iraq and Afghanistan as special episodes of _SmackDown_ or _Raw_. Along the travel, wrestlers and employees stopped at autograph sessions and local hospitals to visit those who fight and may have been injured in war. Since 2010, Tribute to the Troops is held in the United States. Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital were among the hospitals visited by WWE's employees.

In 2004, USO of Metropolitan Washington awarded the WWE the first _Legacy of Hope_ award for their extensive support of their troops and the USO’s Operation Care Package program. In 2006, WWE received the _Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Service_ award. It was presented to WWE Chairman, Vince McMahon and other wrestlers.When he got the award, McMahon gave it to wrestler, John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL), noting that Tribute to the Troops was his original idea. WWE also got recognition from General Casey, the Commander of Multinational Forces Iraq. The WWE generally stayed for three days.

Overall, 21 events have taken place since 2003. They air December every year, as they are intended to be a holiday treat for the troops (excluding the 2021 edition, which was held in October and aired in November). Not every WWE wrestler and employee attends them, but any wrestler willing to go may attend. The shows feature wrestlers from all brands.

## Dates and Venues

|No.|Date|Airdate|Venue|Location|Notes||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|1|||Camp Victory|Baghdad, Iraq|rowspan="2"|This was a special episode of SmackDown.|
|2|||Camp Speicher|Tikrit, Iraq|||
|3|||Bagram Air Base|Bagram, Afghanistan|rowspan="3"|This was a special episode of _Raw_.|
|4|||Camp Victory|Baghdad, Iraq|||
|5|||Camp Speicher|Tikrit, Iraq|||
|6|||Camp Victory|Baghdad, Iraq|||
|7|||Holt Memorial Stadium (Balad Air Base)|Balad, Iraq|||
|8|||Fort Hood|Killeen, Texas|||
|9|||Norfolk Scope|Norfolk, Virginia|||
|10|||Crown Coliseum|Fayetteville, North Carolina|||
|11|||Joint Base Lewis-McChord|Tacoma, Washington|||
|12|||Columbus Civic Center|Columbus, Georgia|||
|13|||Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena|Jacksonville, Florida|||
|14|||Verizon Center|Washington, D.C.|||
|15|||Naval Base San Diego|San Diego, California|||
|16|||Fort Hood|Killeen, Texas|||
|17||N/A|Marine Corps Air Station New River Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune|Jacksonville, North Carolina|This was a non-televised event.||
|18|||Amway Center|Orlando, Florida|||
|19|||Toyota Arena|Ontario, California|||
|20|||Gainbridge Fieldhouse|Indianapolis, Indiana|||
|21|colspan="2"||Amica Mutual Pavilion|Providence, Rhode Island|This was a live special episode of SmackDown.||

## Other websites

- Official website

## Infobox (television)

- **image**: WWE superstars.jpg
- **caption**: WWE Superstars during the 2003 Tribute to the Troops
- **creator**: Vince McMahon
John Layfield
- **starring**: List of WWE personnel, WWE roster
- **country**: United States
- **num episodes**: 21
- **runtime**: 120 minutes
- **network**: UPN (2003–2004)
USA Network (2005–2018)
NBC (2008–2014)
Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox (2020–2023)
- **last aired**: present