Nolan visits the real trenches

Mike Nolan has always had the highest esteem for U.S. soldiers, and he says he makes it a point to thank them for their service when he spots one in the airport.

Last month, the 49ers' coach took his appreciation a step further … to Afghanistan.

At a time when most of the NFL takes a rare vacation, Nolan boarded a C-17 cargo plane from Kuwait to Bagram Air Base. Nolan made the trip after an invitation from San Francisco radio host Ron Barr. Former 49ers cornerback Eric Davis also was part of the group, and the three spent six days with the troops.

Nolan knew immediately it would be no joy ride.

Upon touching down, he was given a helmet and a flak jacket. Then he took a two-hour ride from Bagram to Camp Blackhorse in Kabul in a heavily armored vehicle that he described as "a big fortified Winnebago."

"It feels like you're in Fort Knox," Nolan said Thursday during a conference call, his first media session since the trip. "It was a moving safe from the bank."

Nolan and the others spent their week making daily forays to forward operating bases, or FOBs, and visiting the troops there. Nolan said the group took a Blackhawk helicopter or rode in a ground convoy.

Nolan said there was a fair amount of questions about football and a few – mostly from airmen from Travis Air Force Base – about the 49ers. But most of the time was spent getting to know the soldiers.

Nolan said he was struck by one question that he was asked several times: How he dealt with being away from home during the NFL season.

"I found that interesting," he said. "It immediately told me what they deal with. It's a volunteer (military), and a lot of people are away for the first time. They deal with that every day. … That's a stress for these guys."

Nolan also had concerned family members on the homefront.

He said his wife, Kathy, initially gave him her blessing but started having second thoughts as the departure date approached. She eventually relented, he said, when she saw how important it was to him.

Nolan also said there were some 49ers players – he would not divulge names – who wanted to go but who could not get clearance from their home base. Some of them called Nolan hoping he or Kathy would argue their case for them. "I quickly backed out of that," Nolan said. "I have enough issues of my own."

During the conference call, Nolan also was asked about the 49ers' three-man quarterback competition, specifically how he would divide snaps in training camp.

Nolan said all three of his passers, including former Jesuit High School and UC Davis star J.T. O'Sullivan, would get practice repetitions but that Alex Smith and Shaun Hill would continue to get most of the work.

He said both quarterbacks would have an opportunity to start an exhibition game and that he hoped one of them would be leading the competition by the third exhibition game Aug. 21 in Chicago. That player ostensibly would start the Chicago game and be the 49ers' opening week starter.

"Once a guy is the guy, he better stay ready and stay atop his game," Nolan said. "It's not like this is a locked-in job forever."

About the writer:

• Read Matthew Barrows' 49ers blog at www.sacbee.com/blogs.