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Country Singer Lifts Spirit
(April 27, 2011) | 
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Army Sgt. Karen
Amicone, the property book non-commissioned
officer with the 77th Sustainment Brigade, 310th
Expeditionary Sustainment Command and a native
of Clinton, N.J., gives country music singer
Chris Young the “Statue of Liberty” patch as a
token of appreciation here April 19, 2011. While
Army Staff Sgt. Antonio Smith, the force
protection non-commissioned officer with the
77th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary
Sustainment Command looks on in admiration.
Young, an active military supporter anxiously
returned to perform here for the second time and
spent the night singing and signing autographs
for appreciative service members. Photo by Army
Sgt. Allyson Parla |
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JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (4/24/2011)
Service members gathered here April 19, 2011 for
a performance by country singer Chris Young.
Soldiers, airmen, and Department of the Army
civilians had the opportunity to take a break
from their normal, day-to-day routine and
experience a performance by the singer.
Chris Young is an avid military supporter and
has previously traveled to the Middle East to
perform for service members.
In
attendance, among others, were Brig. Gen. Kurt
F. Neubauer, the JBB installation commander,
Chief Master Sgt. Harold Hutchinson, JBB's
command chief, and Command Sgt. Maj. Debbie
Schroder, the command sergeant major for the
310th |
Expeditionary Sustainment Command.
The
event was hosted by Stars For Stripes,
the nonprofit organization that promotes
patriotism and civic pride by bringing
entertainment to troops in Iraq. For fans, band
members and all who attended, the event was
mutually morale-boosting.
“I firmly
believe that the reason I have such a blessed
life is because of people in uniform,” said Judy
G. Seale, the president of the Stars for Stripes
organization, and a Nashville, Tenn., native.
“You allow me to live the life that I do. If I
didn't have to work for a living, this is all I
would do.”
Although Young has performed
in support of Ssldiers stationed overseas
before, his band members were performing for the
first time here. The musician's stance on
supporting the military was enthusiastic and
loyal.
“I told pretty much everyone I
could talk to what a great experience it was,”
said Young as he smiled while reflecting on his
previous performance for the troops stationed in
the Middle East.
Other members in the
band echoed Young's sentiment.
“I see
people in the armed forces in a completely
different light now,” said Steve Siels, Young's
bass player.
Siels said that meeting
soldiers from different branches of service who
have served overseas has a deeper meaning now
that he has witnessed the job they perform in a
deployed environment.
“Now that I've been
here, I get it,” he said. “These guys are doing
an incredibly rough and tough job. I think
people in the armed forces are a breed of their
own. It's like a hidden gene that's no one has
discovered yet. I think it takes a lot to do
what you guys do.”
The level of
appreciation that the military members showed
towards the band was surprising for Young, who
gave out iTunes gift cards and CDs while signing
autographs and taking pictures with fans.
His younger 24 year-old sister recently
joined the Marine Corps last year and works in
aviation electronics.
“We can't tell
people ‘thank you' fast enough,” Young said.
“They're telling us, which seems really
backwards, but it's an amazing feeling.”
Dozens of military personnel posted photos
on social media Web sites and wrote notes of
thanks even before the night was over, a
testament of gratuity for the band that showed
support. |
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By Army 77th Sustainment Brigade
Copyright 2011
Provided
through DVIDS
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