May 25th 2009 2:01 pm PT

Rock on Major!

Wow, have fun Major!

Whoa! Have fun!

Nice Major! Looking forward to a week of lolcatz courtesy of e (the vowel).

Awesome! It’s great to see someone as high up in the Xbox community as you, Major, to support our troops with some R&R.

You Da Man, Major

Congrats Major.

Make sure you let all the men and women that are serving our country, fighting for our freedom that the Xbox Community appreciates everything that they do.

I can’t wait to see the pics and videos. Have fun and Rock Out! =)

As a gamer, Soldier and musician (Army Bands), thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to go take care of my brothers and sisters in harm’s way. Rock on!!!

Shameless PR stunt on the back of an illegal war. Woot!, way to go! *slow clap*.

It’s all about the videogames baby! Even in a warzone!

@oO MG81 Oo

“illegal war”

That u guys have have a hand in also. *slow clap*

@Major

Thats really cool of you all heading over there for this. All the brave men and women there need things like this to take their minds off the everyday stress they’re all under. God Bless. BTW you better bring some sunblock 5000, ’cause its gonna be a hot mother.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCTSCAQzY9k

Goodbye, Major Nelson.

@o0 Daz 0o
HAD a hand in but no longer. UK combat operations have ended in Iraq. But this is irrelevant and not the point I was making. The point I was making is that personally I think it’s a bit distasteful to use a war in which 1000s of civilians and members of the armed forces have died to promote a video game. Just saying.

It’s not about promoting a video game for me. This is my chance to bring a little home to the men and women that are working hard, and risking their lives to do a job they may or may not agree with.

This whole war is a joke Iraq has never threatened our freedom. In fact our freedom hasn’t been threatened in nearly 70 years. The men and women in Iraq despite what they believe aren’t fighting for our freedom they are fighting for oil.

Always remember, a must bring would be your Passport lol

@oO MG81 Oo and @Ratfoot

You two sirs are retarded. All Major is going over there to do is help bring some civility to our fighting men and women, why do you find a need to bring politics into it?

I don’t agree with you two simple minded pinheads but I will defend to the death your right to say it!

@MajorNelson

The war may be a mess and there are many that don’t agree with it. Have fun stay safe! Oh and make sure you have your passport

“…..where we will award the best RockBand 2 players in all of Baghdad.” – Quote

So you will be allowing local Iraqi’s to enter? Or are you afraid they might kick the Americans War Machine all over the show!

@oOMG91Oo and @Ratfoot

Could you guys please keep your ‘The war is retarded, and since you want to bring fun to the troops you are GAY Major!’ to your freakin’ selves.’ I’m sick and tired of your kind of crap, I DON’T CARE ABOUT YOUR OPINIONS ON THE FREAKIN’ WAR. So if you can’t type something constructive, keep it to your freakin’ self! It’s simple.

@Goodeye84: THANK YOU!

@Major Nelson: Have fun! Thanks for supporting the troops and bringing some happiness to what I’m sure is a very um, ‘not fun’, place!

This is great Major. Have fun and give a big Thank You to all the troops for me.

Good luck major and be safe.. we all are praying for your safe return on this trip.. Its hard not life in Iraq its worse then some places in USA.. Please be safe and watch your back.. i dont want to see your name on the news and then find out its something bad.. Please just be safe up there.. its great to see you guys are doing good but i would be worried and i would be doing the job too if i had it but still man.. be safe and pray that everything will go all to planed and nothing will go wrong.. its hard being in a place were so many people dont like us and dont like our people.. ether way lets hope everything works for the best good luck man and i hope you have a safe return another note sorry for saying thsi a million times but i figured i should say it just so you know we mean it!

I also have a rather critical opinion on us foreign policy under republican presidents, but I would never disrespect the job your soldiers have to do. After all it is not on them to say No Sir. Because of that I wish them a hell of party down there with lots of Rock ´n´ Roll.
And Major “no you can´t haz that tank for home”
So have fun down there.
Greetings from Germany
Stephan

should have gone to Afghanistan

Will you be calling yourself Major Nelson and expecting salutes from the lower ranks?

Send the service men and women our love. Any normality you can bring to the soldiers during this difficult time is greatly appreciated, I’m sure.

Ignore the people looking to start a conflict, that’s what they’re here to do.

@Ratfoot
I’d say that the 3000+ people killed on 9/11 had their freedom taken from them. You need to stop getting your news from John Stewart and SNL. Now get back in your mommies basement and pretend like your a rock star. Also, the only joke here is the fact that you obviously don’t know how to use proper punctuation. This –>> , <<– is a comma. It is your friend. Google it junior.

Rock On Major! What a great way to bring a little “home” to them. I’ll be prayin’ for your safe return.

@goodeye
Sir you missed my point completely our right to free speech has not been threatened since the World War II.
@shadow
You are clearly slandering my comments. I said there is nothing wrong with bringing fun to the troops. My point is that they shouldn’t be there in the first place.

I love your website Major, bring back some good news and stay safe!

Just make sure they don’t press the guide button…

@Ratfoot, you’re trying to turn an entertainment blog into a political debate. Take that crap elsewhere. Most of us are tired of hearing ignorant comments like that about Iraq anyway.

I can tell you from personal experience, that Camp Slayer is one of the most beautiful places on earth and that it has also delivered one of the most frightening experiences of my life.What you are doing is a huge moral lifter for all troops stationed over there right now and shows a big “hell yea” by Microsoft to support what freedom stands for.Not for the support of a War,but rather a support for those who believe in freedom ,and the individual man or woman who would risk their lives to make sure that is secured.

It’s just a shame North Korea has to go and spoil a hopeful relationship.It just goes to show how a group of irresponsible leaders can led a group of people to death and destruction.Maybe all those whining about this would like to take care of that problem too.Maybe there little putdowns would convince this guy not to nuke the crap out of them while they sit idly beside and mock the US for taking care of a bad situation.

I hope they wont be connected to XBOX LIVE, and want to purchase a new song for ROCK BAND 2, it’s bad enouugh they are over they, but the wait they will be experiencing on the marketplace will drive them nuts!

Whilst Im against America’s War of Terror; I don’t think this forum should be used to debate it. At the end of the day, these are your troops and you’re duty bound, as an American, to support them.
Stay safe and have a great time.

@stedanko
While I do agree that 9/11 was a tragic event Al Qaeda’s goal was not to take our freedom away. It was to aggravate us to enter the Middle East and thereby aggravating other Middle Eastern countries causing them to unite and form one large nation. (Yes that is Al Qaeda’s goal just FYI)
@threeleggedcow
In no way am I trying to start a political debate I am merely expressing my disgust in the war and people saying bs like “Freedom isn’t Free”. Believe me I am far more informed on this subject than you can begin to comprehend.
*Sigh and finally*
@RuairiAU
Where exactly does it say that I am duty bound to support our troops?

Major Nelson….thank you for supporting the troops. I was there in 2007 and if you have a chance ask your escorts to visit North End Pizza….best pizza in Iraq.

Have a safe trip Major, god bless our country and those who have fought for us over there.

@Ratfoot
I was inferring patriotic duty. Now can we please get off the politics topic; It has no place here.

Major-
What you are doing is awesome. I wish you the best and hope you return safely. As an entering cadet of the United States Air Force Academy, what you’re doing really means a lot.
Speaking of which… I won’t have Xbox Live for the next 4 years… sad.

Others-
This is no place for politics. But…

Al-Qaeda’s goal was to kill Americans, plain and simple. If they had the chance, they would do it again, and again, until all westerners were dead. It is ignorant to think otherwise.
Now, you may not agree with the war… that’s fine. But the men and women wearing our uniform are defending and sacrificing for us every day. No, it isn’t a law that you have to support our troops. It is your responsibility. They are doing what others are unwilling or incapable of doing, and without people like them, America would not exist as it is today.
Now, I think politics should go out the window here. Have a nice day everyone.

While your there, Tony Blair wants you to see if you can see any “weapons of mass destruction”, he couldnt find any last time.

awesome. have a good trip, Major! remember to check out the printers!

Al-Qaeda moved into iraq when the country was destabilised in the 2nd gulf war, you would find the roots of modern al qaeda and 9/11 in afganistan and sauldi arabia,

how about some clean water, electricity and safe passage for the local populas before you start shippin in the toy guitars ;(

why are the haters hating the haters, don’t believe in freedom in speech? isn’t it up there with your right to bear arms, why you people would want hairy arms is beyond me!. oh it’s guns. no wonder your country is in such a mess!

Have fun over there in Iraq, Major. It’s a great thing you are doing for the troops.

LOL @ emuholic’s comment. It would make a funny photo to see all the troops giving him a mock salute.

while i don’t agree with the reason that the troops are there, there’s nothing wrong with helping people in a stressful situation have a little quality fun. this is bigger than our political beliefs; it will help these U.S. combatants feel more like normal people.

Rock on, Major! Please thank the troops for their sacrifice and service for me, and don’t forget your passport!

@Maj
Travel safe and have a blast – act crazy and make them boyz and girlz (The Men and the Women) have a good safe time. And PLEASE PLEASE ‘make the funny’ with your gamertag as it will fit “Major Nelson” as that will be a blast for many. Posing for photos is a MUST! Cafeul on the geek stuff or you might get the HUGE “?” and weird stares (you’ll know it when you see it – hopefully you won’t see that). Oh, my Rock Band request for you to sing is “My Sharona” (for crowd reaction) that’s if you do not twitter a request. “Rock On dude….”

Dashing through the sand…

Have a safe anf fun trip, sounds really cool.

@mikee 002

To be fair, Microsoft is not just sending toy guitars to soldiers, and water and power is not exactly their area of expertise. According to their ‘Corporate Citizenship’ site, they are supporting a ‘Women in Technology’ programme in Iraq http://www.witmena.org/ and have supported more than 27,000 people in a ‘Partners in Learning’ programme. Rather depressingly however, they do not claim to be supporting any particular initiatives in Afghanistan and claim to have supported only 4 people in the ‘Partners in Learning’ programme.

Maybe Major Nelson can say a bit more here about other charitable work MS is doing in Iraq and Afghanistan?

Without the context of what else Microsoft (and Harmonix for that matter) are doing to help the Iraqi civilians who have suffered under a brutal dictator, suffered from years of sanctions and then been hit by the horrific unintentional side effects of the US/UK invasion, then this could look to some people like a rather distasteful and insensitive publicity stunt.