Even standing on deck in dock, taking in the Mediterranean Sea view from the Old Port of Marseilles, feeling the underlying power and sheer scope of the Canadian Royal Navy’s 4.8-tonne, 440-foot HCMS St. John’s, managed to take Andrew Buckley’s breath away.

“It was . . . amazing,’’ reports the Calgary Stampeders’ second-year quarterback. “Mind-boggling, really.

“They showed us some of the rockets and missiles on board. Incredible. Not many people have an opportunity to get that up-close.

“I’m a big supporter of the military anyway but to actually to be there, interacting with the troops in their environment, is an eye-opener, to say the least.

“I came back with a huge, newfound admiration for (the troops).”

Over a Polaroid snapshot six days, the former U of C double-Hec Crighton Award winner was part of a visit by 16 CFL players to Canadian troops stationed in both the more well-known Marseilles and Lviv, Ukraine, a city of 730,000 located on the edge of the Roztochia Upland, roughly 70 kilometres from the Polish border.

Photo: MCpl Mathieu Gaudreault, Canadian Forces Combat Camera

Also part of the Calgary touring delegation: Rush end Charleston Hughes and defensive back Brandon Smith.

“I got the e-mail on my phone about the trip and after I checked my calendar,’’ recalls Buckley, “I texted the league guy back and told him to do what it takes to get me on.

“Must’ve taken me, oh, 30 seconds or so.”

For sackmaster Hughes, too, the offer was a snap decision.

“Oh, automatic slam-dunk. It’s kinda out of anyone’s realm to go to the Ukraine, right? To see the cultural side of it, the buildings, the artifacts … it’s like stepping back in time.

“I only saw a small portion of what Marseilles had to offer, as well. Makes you want to see more.

“I’m American and I support Canadian troops. It’s a two-way street, right? We support each other.

“A great experience to see how they live, how much they sacrifice. Man, those sleeping arrangements . . . It wasn’t a Hilton, let me tell you. Think of a Hilton-sized room with 15 guys living in it.

“Maybe a dorm-sized apartment, 600 square feet. If they wake up in the middle of the night to the go to the bathroom, they put mats on ladders so’s not to walk loud and wake anybody up. Like Lego bunk-beds, arranging them, so all the guys sleep comfortable.

“But they’ve got it all figured out.”

Smith, too, admitted to being gobsmacked by the St. John’s.

“There’s one gun on ship they said shoots thousands of rounds per minute,’’ he marvels. “To know they have weapons that advanced, that sophisticated, is, well . . . unbelievable.”

The junket was brief. Two travel days, from Ottawa to Lviv and then Marseilles back to Ottawa, and a couple days visiting each of the two destinations.

“Just being at the military base in Lviv, to see how the soldiers live day-to-day, left an impression,’’ says Buckley. “We got to tour the barracks, play with some of their firearms – dis-activated guns – for pictures.

“We toured the base, had the opportunity to sit down and have a meal with the guys and they told us some outrageous stories.

“It was cool to see a snapshot of their lives.

“Here at home, we just read a news headline here or there. We don’t see the people working behind the scenes, the amount of manpower and organization it takes to run an operation of that size.

“It’s impressive.”

Photo: MCpl Mathieu Gaudreault, Canadian Forces Combat Camera

Smith returned with a healthy respect for the physical conditioning of the troops.

“Man, we think our football equipment is heavy,’’ he whistles. “Those guys are lugging around 110 pounds over their body weight, in equipment and weapons. Then they have to carry food, provisions, the basics, a lot of other things on top of that. In a war zone.

“Talk about having to be in shape.”

While the players, at least one from each of the nine CFL franchises, were tickled to see the troops, the feeling was entirely reciprocal.

“There were a lot of football fans,’’ said Hughes. “And if they weren’t Stamp fans when we got there, I turned them into Stamp fans.

“I was busy, trading my player cards, T-shirts and stuff, for patches. I ended up 10 or 12 patches.”

“Obviously it’s not easy to get coverage of CFL games over there,’’ acknowledges Buckley. “But we showed up on deck in Marseilles and people were wearing Stampeders caps and Riders jerseys.

“That made us feel right at home.

“So it was cool to be able not only to interact with the people stationed there as part of our military but as CFL and football fans. To see that even thousands of miles away, on the other side of the earth, they’re still interested in, supportive of, what we do, is very gratifying.

“Because we’re obviously very supportive, and thankful for, what they do.”

When @StampMachine has been singing the ‘Wasting My Time’ chorus AT @dallassmith for a couple of days…this happens! 😂🇨🇦🏈‼️ Mic drop. #CFL pic.twitter.com/8haC2OhPMH

— Brodie Lawson (@BrodieLawson) April 25, 2017

A gregarious sort by nature, Hughes also made a point of trying to charm the locals.

“They really wanted to communicate, which was nice. I tried to smile, at everyone, and leave a good impression.

“I remember some school kids on a tour bus when we were in Ukraine. There were staring me down. It was kinda that look like: ‘I’ve never seen a person like this before.’ I just waved and smiled, gave them the happiest look I possibly could.”

Turns out, the visiting delegation came home with more than just cell-phone keepsake photos and lifelong memories.

“I brought back a food menu from one of the coolest places we went for lunch, in Lviv,’’ Buckley reports. “It’s in an old WWII bunker, completely military themed. You walk down this old alley, bang on the door and a guy in a Ukraine military outfit lets you in, AK47 slung over a shoulder.

“As you walk in, he makes you take a shot, then you walk down this old stone bunker, dimly-lit.

“Just the coolest place.”

Gone less than a week, the impressions left to the visiting CFLers are varied, and lasting.

“We kinda taken them for granted,’’ says Smith of the troops. “We don’t realize how lucky we do have it here at home and they’re a big reason for that. For helping keep us safe.

“To go there and see it hands on . . . it’s not like you didn’t respect them before, but that respect only grows.”

And the chance to do it all again should the opportunity present itself?

“Without doubt,’’ replies the DB.

“Guaranteed,’’ chimes in the rush end.

“In a heartbeat,” echoes the quarterback.

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