. >> reporter: tonight, 25-year-old rachel washburn will be honored as a hometown hero by the philadelphiaed to cheerlead for. four years ago, she gave up her pom poms for an assault rifle, becoming a lieutenant in the u.s. army. >> i was always going to join the military. they're not exactly the same, but both jobs require you to handle stress. >> reporter: while in college, washburn was an officer training. but craved another challenge. so, she tried out for the squad. >> i was very intimidated to do push-ups next to her. she was just a great role model. >> reporter: after graduation, washburn gave up one job she loved to another. deploying to afghanistan. >> we lived in a tiny mountain village, very rural, very, very conservativ conservative. we lived in a mud hut. >> reporter: washburn and another female officer were part of a special operations mission. tasked with winning the support of local afghan women. one night, they were given a rare opportunity to do just that, by delivering a baby. >> very important to her husband that her integrity be maintained. and part of that is that she

linzie janis, abc news, philadelphia. >> and to lieutenant rachel washburn and all our servicemen and. "gma" first thing in the morning. david muir is back here tomorrow night. and we leave you now with the empire state building, doing some christmas caroling above the big apple. good night. >>> next at 6:00, what is being done to help a severely injured puppy found abandoned in san francisco. >> how a community is coming together to support a bay area family whose daughter was declared brain dead. >> a look at the weather across the u.s. from tornadoes to floods to icy winter storms. abc7 news at 6:00 starts now. >>> hope remains for a bay area family whose daughter was declared brain dead by doctors. hey believe a second opinion will help keep her on a vent ventilator. tonight the parents are joining the community to pray for a positive outcome. >> jahi mcmath went in for to answer -- tonsillectomy this month. doctors said there were complications and declared her brain dead. her family believes jahi is still alive and will get a second opinion next week. cornell bernard is live in

rachel washburn and all our servicemen and women. "gma" first thing in the morning. david muir is back here tomorrow night. we leave you with the empire state building doing some christmas carolling above the big apple. good night. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> live, from the abc 7 broadcast center, this is abc seven news at 6:30, on your side. >> record-breaking high temperatures in the d c area. as we experience those temperatures, other parts of the country with snow and ice read -- snow and ice. are hours away from a critical deadline in the new health care law. and it is a familiar tune. so close, but the redskins could not pull out a win against the cowboys. more showers and storms are heading our way. let's get a timeline of what we expect and when. >> we have been busy in the weather center all afternoon. now we are watching the line of heavier showers that will arrive later tonight, dropping as much rain across the metro area. temperatures outside still about 15 degrees above average. 61 degrees at reagan national airpo

and rachel washburn got an amazing hero's welcome. huge vote of thanks and gratitude for all of her service, as well. thank you very much. you guys, too. nice service tonight on your part, as well. merry christmas to all of you. great to see you all. well, ms. washburn may have had an nfl-size home coming, we'll she you why some of the most inspiring reunions for our men and women in uniform come out in front of much, much smaller, tiny crowds sometimes. don't want to miss this. we'll be right back. ♪ >> there's no place like home for the holidays, right? and for the men and women in uniform returning to their families this christmas. truer words may have never been spoken. >> welcome home! >> my son returning after so many didn't return has got a real special meaning this christmas. >> a son returning to houston from bagram, afghanistan, to a crowd of relatives that could outnumber some platoons. and while his father has served before, hilmself, he says the reunion is beyond words. >> to have my son back, can't explain it. >> family

and rachel washburn got an amazing hero's welcome. and we give her a huge, huge vote of thanks and gratitude for all of her service, as well. thank you very much. you guys, too. nice service tonight on your part, as well. merry christmas to all of you. great to see you all. well, ms. washburn may have had an nfl-size home coming, we'll she you why some of the most inspiring reunions for our men and women in uniform come out in front of much, much smaller, tiny crowds sometimes. don't want to miss this. we'll be right back. and ah, so you can see like right here i can just... you know, check my policy here, add a car, ah speak to customer service, check on a claim...you know, all with the ah, tap of my geico app. oh, that's so cool. well, i would disagree with you but, ah, that would make me a liar. no dude, you're on the jumbotron! whoa. ah...yeah, pretty much walked into that one. geico anywhere anytime. just a tap away on the geico app. ♪ >> there's no place like home for the holidays, right? and for the men and women in uniform ret

. >> reporter: 25-year-old rachel washburn honored as a hometown hero by the philadelphia eagles, theo cheer-lead for. four years ago, she gave up her pom-poms for an assault rival. >> i was always going to join the military. they're not exactly the same. both jobs require you the handle stress. >> reporter: in college, she was in officer training but craved another challenge. she tried out for the squad. >> i was very intimidated to do pushups next to her. she was great role model. >> reporter: after graduation, she gave up one job she loved for another. deploying to afghanistan. >> we lived in a tiny mountain village. a mud hut. >> reporter: she and another female officer were part of a special op rags mission, tasked with winning the support of local afghan women. one night, they were given a rare opportunity to do just that. by delivering a baby. >> it was very important to her husband that her integrity be maintained. part of that is that she not seen by anyone but her husband or family. we had the medics on the radio, talking us through everything. >> reporter: she's reluctant t

you, it's all about the playoffs but first, the eagles honoring former cheerleader lieutenant rachel washburnwo tours in afghanistan and earned a bronze star medal. >>> in the game, the eagles dominate chicago leading 21-0 in the first quarter. eagles go on to win that one 54-11 setting up a win or go home game for both teams next week. >>> tony romo, hero this week. in the last minute, scrambles, connects, dallas beating the redskins 24-23 with that beauty. saving grace pierre garcon breaks the franchise season record 107 receptions. >>> hey, how about peyton manning? now, all-time season record holder with his 51st touchdown against the texans. the broncos win 37-13. manning breaking tom brady's '07 season of 50 tds. >>> to the snowball shall we call it? steelers and packers. a cameraman, watch this. right where it hurts. hit by a packers' pass. it does hurt the packers, though. steelers win it, 38-31. >>> it wasn't real pretty for cam newton statistically but carolina down by three against the saints, pretty enough, with that pass right there. panthers win 17-13. now, headed to the postsea

look at rachel washburn, just a few years ago. pretty much on a whim. she decided to try out during her freshman year at drexel university as a cheerleader for the philadelphia eagles. she made the squad and stayed on until 2009. a few years later she is wearing this uniform. she was attached to a special ops combat union in afghanistan. her task to win the hearts and minds of afghan women, a role in which she excelled, even helping at one point to deliver an afghan woman's baby in the middle of a snowstorm. >> us understanding the culture was imperative for us. if we didn't understand that, we would have never been able to create the bond with the women we needed to to accomplish our mission. >> rachel washburn is a first lieutenant in the army, she served two tours of duty in a g afghanistan. she was honored with the hometown hero award at last night's eagle game. she said sheleader that were, i useful on the battlefield. >> there are some commonalties, both are stressful and require to you remain composed under situations that are a little uncomforta

in 2009, rachel washburn traded her pompoms for an army uniform.rved as not officer with the combat unit and now she is back from her second tour in afghanistan. >>> what a night on saturday night live as jimmy fallon hosted a special christmas wednesday some help from high powered friends including madonna and a surprise duet with sir paul mccartney. also a memorable moment with musical guest justin timberlake. ♪ >> another snl classic. still ahead, one family's highly unusual christmas surprise. she's always had a playful side. and you love her for it. but your erectile dysfunction - that could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitra

rachel washburn spent three seasons with the philadelphia eagles before joining the army. tours in afghanistan and yesterday, her eagle family saluted her for her brave service overseas. what a story. david lee miller has more. >> what a tremendous story this is. she went from being a philadelphia eagles cheerleader to an army platoon leader and last night, first lieutenant rachel washburn was honored as a home tune hero. eagles fans might remember seeing her in the cheerleading uniform. she cheered from 2007 to 2009. she was an rotc student at a local university and she traveled to iraq for a u.s.o. tour. after graduation, she then served two tours of duty in afghanistan. not only was her cheerleading a form of the past but she wore a head scarf while serving on an army cultural support team. her job was to serve as a liaison between the military and afghan women. >> understanding the culture was imperative for us. if we didn't understand that, we never would have been able to make a bond with the women we needed to, to accomplish our mission. >> she is no stranger to the

yesterday, the army recognized former nfl cheerleader turned soldier rachel washburn for her service. she was a cheerleader for the eagles until 2009. she was at last night's game in philly against the bears. she completed two tours of duty in afghanistan and earned a bronze star. she plans to reenlist in the army next year. >>> well, a hero's welcome in london this afternoon for a group of injured veterans just back from an arctic adventure. >> the vets are from britain and the u.s. they had something to prove. prince harry helped them prove it. >> reporter: cheers and hugs this morning for a hero's return. missing from the adventure is prince harry, after leading the british team during the gruelling three week trek to the bottom of the world, he returned to london, alone. last spotted shopping in south africa, sporting his personal souven souvenir, the bushy beard. >> we all turn and go is that really prince harry? he's harry, he was a teammate and great one to be with. >> reporter: it wasn't just royalty joining them, actors, too. star of "the wire" dominic west. pulling heavy sle

just back from a second tour in afghanistan, 25-year-old lieutenant rachel washburn will be named hometownin a ceremony during tonight's philadelphia eagles game. in 2009, washburn gave up her career as a cheerleader for the team to become an officer in the u.s. army. >> i was always going to join the military. they're not exactly the same. but both jobs require you to handle stress. >> reporter: while in college, she juggled both identities. training as an officer and winning a spot on the eagles cheerleading squad her sophomore year. >> and when she came back, she didn't miss a beat. she knew all of the dances. she was just doing everything. >> reporter: but after graduation, her love of country won out. washburn deployed to afghanistan in 2011 as part of a cultural support team, her mission -- winning the hearts and minds of women in afghanistan. >> trying to create a bond with them was always our main objective. we talked a lot about head scarves and makeup. >> reporter: washburn and another female officer were attached to a special forces unit. and despite these stunning photos of her

. >>> and in honor, rachel washburn honored on the field.ronze star recipient who served two tours in afghanistan was also a cheerleader for the eagles for three seasons. well deserved honor there. >> well deserved for her, and great for the team, as well. >>> you're right. >>> susan, thank you so much. and your choice for number four on our countdown, of the top five ridiculists of 2013. just by talking to a helmet. it grabbed the patient's record before we even picked him up. it found out the doctor we needed was at st. anne's. wiggle your toes. [ driver ] and it got his okay on treatment from miles away. it even pulled strings with the stoplights. my ambulance talks with smoke alarms and pilots and stadiums. but, of course, it's a good listener too. [ female announcer ] today cisco is connecting the internet of everything. so everything works like never before. >>> we're grateful for all of you who stopped your holiday shopping to vote on to ridiculous 2013. we're counting down as tonight, your choice, for number four. this was back in ju

. >>> and in honor, rachel washburn honored on the field. this was yesterday.he bronze star recipient who served two tours in afghanistan was also a cheerleader for the eagles for three seasons. well deserved honor there. >> well deserved for her, and great for the team, as well. >>> you're right. >>> susan, thank you so much. up next, you voted online. now see your choice for number four on our countdown of the top five ridiculists of 2013. [ male announcer ] the new new york is open. open to innovation. open to ambition. open to bold ideas. that's why new york has a new plan -- dozens of tax free zones all across the state. move here, expand here, or start a new business here and pay no taxes for ten years... we're new york. if there's something that creates more jobs, and grows more businesses... we're open to it. start a tax-free business at startup-ny.com. >>> we're grateful for all of you who stopped your holiday shopping to vote on to ridiculous 2013. we're counting down as tonight, your choice, for number four. this was back in june when a certain inter

. >>> and in honor, rachel washburn honored on the field. this was yesterday. out the bronze star recipient who served two tours in afghanistan was also a cheerleader for the eagles for three seasons. well deserved honor there. >> well deserved for her, and great for the team, as well. >>> you're right. >>> susan, thank you so much. up next, you voted online. now see your choice for number four on our countdown of the top five ridiculists of 2013. [ female announcer ] tide pods three-in-one detergent. pop in the drum of any machine... ♪ ...to wash any size load. it dissolves in any temperature, even cold. tide pods. pop in. stand out. >>> we're grateful for all of you who stopped your holiday shopping to vote on to ridiculous 2013. we're counting down as tonight, your choice, for number four. this was back in june when a certain internet sensation just galloped her way into anderson's heart. take a look. >> time now for "the ridiculist." and tonight we offer the tips to get in shape this summer. it's of course called prancercize. this is so ridiculous. it is de

. >> reporter: this off her second deployment from afghanistan, first lieutenant, rachel washburn isk to be home. >> great to be home. i call philadelphia my home and where my heart is and always will be. i'm a die-hard eagles fan. >> reporter: she better be an eagles fan. this is the uniform she was wearing three years ago as a philadelphia eagles cheerleader from 2007 to 2010. last time you were here you were in a cheerleading uniform? >> i was. three years now. >> reporter: instead of carrying pom-poms, she now packs an m-16. nowadays, lieutenant washburn serves as arm intelligence platoon leader. before that she was on the army cultural support team, helping military connect with afghani women. >> us understanding the culture was imperative for us because if we, didn't understand we would never have been able to make a bond with the women we needed to accomplish our mission. >> reporter: at 25 she has already a decorated career being awarded the bronze med and several others. she helped deliver a baby in afghanistan. surprisingly washburn says she actually drew from here cheering

army first lieutenant rachel washburn just returned from a second tour of duty.as cheering on the eagles, but when she graduate fred drexel, she enlisted and was deplied in 2011. if she wasn't in combat, she was working a cultural mission. >> the questions were what was it like working with the nfl, but the army is full of professionals, and they're worried about your ethic and willing to pull your own weight. >> reporter: she was honored as a hometown hero. >>> be sure to watch tomorrow night as pope francis celebrates, and we'll take a special look at 6:00 eastern. >>> "crossfire" starts right now. >>> tonight on "crossfire" -- looking beyond the holidays. >> are you kidding me? >>> where are the political battle lines for 2014? >> it's time to start over. >>> who should we keep our eyes on? >> what difference at this point does it make? >>> and what will be the bigs issues? >> we afternoons pate there's still going to be challenges. >>> on the left mark lamont hill, on the right s.e. cupp. in the crossfire nira tandit, and will cain, a conservative commutator,

rachel washburn worked as an eagles cheerleader but is now wearing a different uniform.e's a first lieutenant in the first army who rust returned from her -- just returned from her second dae employment to afghanistan. yesterday, the eagles honor her during a ceremony before the game verses the chicago bears. >>> 7:19. let's check traffic now. tara, what's going on with the ferries this morning? >> if you want to take the ferry into work from larkspur, the 7:30 ferry has been canceled because of mechanical problems. you will have to wait around probably an extra 20 minutes or so to take the 720 ferry. now, at the bay bridge tacoma, those metering lights never went on. there's not been much traffic due to the holiday. clear sailing into san francisco. also highway 4 through the baypoint pittsburgh area, the lights toward concord and 680 no delays and finally, 280 at the 880 split down in san jose, those headlights are folks headed northbound towards santa clara, no problems this morning. 7:20. let's head over to rosemary. >>> first full week of winter, not going to feel l

she's rachel washburn, a first lieutenant with the u.s. army. 25-year-old did two tours of duty in afghanistan and received a bronze star. so if you were watching last night at the eagle game, the team recognized its former cheerleader for her heroic achievements. her father, an air force and army vet himself, nominated him. she is considering reenlisting in the army next year. >>> and you know, there may not be a ton of football happening on christmas day, but there's no shortage of new movies opening up. you have mandela, long walk to freedom. stallone and de niro's grudge match. justin bieber's believe, but the movie i'm most excited to see stars leonardo dicaprio because he heads back to the big screen in this new film based upon this real life disgraced financial exec in the wolf of wall street. some of the hard parties scening from the film seem too crazy to be true, but they're not so far from what happened in real life. >> my name is jordan. the year i turned 26, i made $49 million, which really pissed me off because it was three shy of

we saw the name rachel washburn.e was honored last night during the philadelphia eagles, chicago bears game as a hometown hero and the crowd really appreciated her. you can see the reaction here. she got quite a reception from the folks in philadelphia. a great story here. >> what a paradox. a cheerleader and then i'm going to take up arms. >> fantastic story. >> this is a story we were talking about in the break. a lot of people may not know the name. >> the most offensive tweet would certainly come up. >> it was heard around the world eventually and the idea is that she sent out this offensive tweet that had to do with aids in africa. she got on a flight from london to south africa. by the time she landed the internet exploded with reaction to this and everybody was of course very upset. she was fired as a result and just this kind of, you know, mentality of everybody reacting to it online was powerful. >> she did apologize for it we should say. >> words cannot express how sorry i am and how necessary it is for me

army intelligence officer rachel washburn recently returned from her second tour in afghanistan.bears. how nice? mike, over to you. >> target is trying to make good this weekend. offering its 10% employee discount to shoppers following that massive breach of its customers' credit card, debit card information. and if you are run one of the 40 million people to have their credit card information stolen between black friday and december 15th. i'm sure you have some questions. going to get answers for you right now. let's talk to privacy and security expert john celio. john good to have you here. >> good to be back. >> i will tell you i almost get the feeling i need to check my credit card information on any other credit card web site every day. >> yeah, i think right now that's probably a great idea to monitor it. the other thing to make it easier, you can set up online accounts alerts with those credit card -- those different credit cards so you automatically are alerted any time there is activity on that card. >> that happens to me all the time. i have a pretty good credit card se