Talent Show Highlights Kalsu's Brightest

Photo By Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky | Master Sgt. Q.P. Bean, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division communications section, serenades Staff Sgt. Charlene Mason, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 703rd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th BCT, 3rd Inf. Div., at the Forward Operating Base Kalsu talent show Jan. 1. Bean sang "Always and Forever" by Luther Vandross. A former member of the U.S. Army Soldier Show, Bean walked away with first place, scoring a four-gigabyte iPod Nano.  

ISKANDARIYAH, IRAQ

01.01.2008

Story by Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky 

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

By Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky
2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – Soldiers on Forward Operating Base Kalsu got to display their talents New Year's Day at a Morale, Welfare and Recreation sponsored talent show.

The event, which drew 15 contestants, was held in the dining facility in front of a crowd of more than 100 people, all cheering on their favorite acts.

The contestants, urged on by their supporters, put their best foot forward in an attempt to claim the top prize: a four-gigabyte iPod Nano.

Second and third places received a Nikon Coolpix L10 digital camera and a multimedia speaker system respectively. All contestants received a 100-minute AT&T calling card.

At the end of the show, after the contest's three judges tallied their scores, Master Sgt. Q.P. Bean, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division communications section, walked away with the prize.

The judges were Sgt. 1st Class Mildred Hill, 26th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Inf. Div., personnel office non-commissioned officer in charge, 2nd Lt. Herena Mitchum, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th BCT, 3rd Inf. Div., and Matt Abbott, a Kellogg Brown and Root logistics supervisor.

Bean, who has been singing for 30 years, said he did not enter the contest just seeking a prize. Instead, the Ozark, Ala., native said his motivation came from his love of singing.

"I don't sing to compete. I just do it because I enjoy it," Bean said.

Bean's relaxed attitude helped fend off any stage fright, as did his prior experience singing in the U.S. Army Soldier Show in 2002.

It was during that show that Bean learned the importance of interacting with the crowd. He stated that a big part of entertaining troops is making a connection with the audience.

As part of his act, singing "Always and Forever" by Luther Vandross, Bean serenaded several of the front-row females, causing them to blush and the crowd to react with loud applause.

Gaining crowd support was also a tactic of third place winners, Sgts. Christopher Walker, from Monroe, La., and Darnell Raby, from Portsmouth, Va., both Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 703rd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th BCT, 3rd Inf. Div.

The duo, who are roommates, rapped "Walk Like a Model."

Walker and Raby said they wanted to come up with a good concept that would turn heads.

The enjoyment the crowd garnered from the performance was an assurance that more shows would be put on in the future, said 1st Lt. Andrew Shadley, FOB Kalsu MWR officer.

"I'm glad everyone enjoyed it," Shadley said, adding the plan is to hold additional shows every few months. "The amount of talent is outstanding."

• Date Taken: 01.01.2008
• Date Posted: 01.07.2008 17:23
• Story ID: 15254
• Location: ISKANDARIYAH, IQ