WWE Tribute to the Troops

WWE Tribute to the Troops
WWE Superstars during the 2003 Tribute to the Troops
Created by	Vince McMahon John Layfield
Starring	WWE roster
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	21
Production
Running time	120 minutes
Original release
Network	UPN (2003–2004) USA Network (2005–2018) NBC (2008–2014) Fox (2020–2023)
Release	December 25, 2003 (2003-12-25) – present

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	December 20, 2003	December 25, 2003	Camp Victory	Baghdad, Iraq	This was a special episode of SmackDown.
2	December 18, 2004	December 23, 2004	Camp Speicher	Tikrit, Iraq
3	December 9, 2005	December 19, 2005	Bagram Air Base	Bagram, Afghanistan	This was a special episode of Raw.
4	December 8, 2006	December 25, 2006	Camp Victory	Baghdad, Iraq
5	December 7, 2007	December 24, 2007	Camp Speicher	Tikrit, Iraq
6	December 5, 2008	December 20, 2008	Camp Victory	Baghdad, Iraq
7	December 4, 2009	December 19, 2009	Holt Memorial Stadium (Balad Air Base)	Balad, Iraq
8	December 11, 2010	December 18, 2010	Fort Hood	Killeen, Texas
9	December 9, 2011	December 19, 2011	Norfolk Scope	Norfolk, Virginia
10	December 11, 2012	December 13, 2012	Crown Coliseum	Fayetteville, North Carolina
11	December 11, 2013	December 28, 2013	Joint Base Lewis-McChord	Tacoma, Washington
12	December 11, 2014	December 17, 2014	Columbus Civic Center	Columbus, Georgia
13	December 8, 2015	December 23, 2015	Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena	Jacksonville, Florida
14	December 13, 2016	December 14, 2016	Verizon Center	Washington, D.C.
15	December 5, 2017	December 14, 2017	Naval Base San Diego	San Diego, California
16	December 4, 2018	December 20, 2018	Fort Hood	Killeen, Texas
17	December 4, 2019	N/A	Marine Corps Air Station New River Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune	Jacksonville, North Carolina	This was a non-televised event.
18	December 2, 2020	December 6, 2020	Amway Center	Orlando, Florida
19	October 15, 2021	November 14, 2021	Toyota Arena	Ontario, California
20	November 11, 2022	December 17, 2022	Gainbridge Fieldhouse	Indianapolis, Indiana
21	December 8, 2023		Amica Mutual Pavilion	Providence, Rhode Island	This was a live special episode of SmackDown.

Other websites

• Official website