During his recent trip overseas with the USO to visit troops stationed abroad, quarterback Peyton Manning kept a journal.

After returning to the United States, he shared parts of his entries with ESPN.

In his posts, Manning talks about the gratitude he has toward the military.

“It was awesome to see and understand just how skilled our military personnel are in this country and how much pride they take in their profession,” he wrote. “My body’s way off with jet lag for sure but I don’t get tired because these people fire me up and inspire me.”

Manning shared some his sense of humor that he got to display on the trip.

“About 12 of us, helmets and goggles on for takeoff and landing,” he wrote about flying on a C-2 aircraft from the United Arab Emirates to an aircraft carrier outside of the Arabian Gulf. “I got to sit up in the cockpit for half the flight. They let me make a few announcements on the PA system. I announced that in order for us to land we needed Curt Schilling and coach Clyde Christensen to please sit on opposite sides of the plane for weight-balance issues. Pilots got a good laugh out of that one.”