Courtesy Photo | Diana DeGarmo, runner-up on the 'American Idol' television series, entertains Sailors...... read more read more
By Photographer's Mate 1 st Class Curt Cooper
MANAMA, Bahrain " General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), and several performers sponsored by the United Service Organizations (USO), including a Medal of Honor recipient, visited Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain as part of the USO Holiday Troop Tour Dec. 29.
Pace, the first Marine to hold the position, became the 16 th CJCS Sep. 30. He serves as the principal military advisor to the President, the Secretary of Defense and the National Security Council.
"No matter what it is that the U.S. forces have been asked to perform during the course of the past year, you all have done amazingly well. It is an absolute privilege and a pleasure to be here with you today," Pace told Sailors and Marines in Bahrain.
The USO Holiday Troop Tour featured pop singer Diana DeGarmo, comedian Reggie McFadden and country singer Michael Peterson. With Pace, they will tour several countries in the region, returning to the states after the new year.
Master-at-Arms 3 rd Class Mizell Thomas, from Chicago, found the show very entertaining and expressed his gratitude to the USO troupe.
"It felt like we were home at a concert. It was very uplifting as far as our spirits and morale," said Thomas.
DeGarmo, an Atlanta, Ga. native and runner-up on the "American Idol" television series, sang several songs for the Sailors and Marines. When asked to come perform as part of the USO tour, DeGarmo said she jumped at the chance.
"They called me up and asked if I wanted to come and I said "Yeah! Sign me up'," she said. "I have a brother serving overseas, and I have a lot of friends in all different divisions of the military, and I think it is our civil duty as citizens of America to give back to the people that are willing to risk their own lives for our safety."
McFadden, from Brooklyn, N.Y., a cast member on Comedy Central's "The Chappelle Show", headlined at comedy clubs nationwide and has made appearances on dozens of sitcoms and variety shows.
"It's a great honor to be here. You guys are over here defending our country and you deserve the best, so we came over to try to lift your morale," he told the deployed servicemembers.
In addition to the entertainers, retired U.S. Army Col. Jack Jacobs, a Medal of Honor recipient from Brooklyn, N.Y., addressed servicemembers at NSA's Main Street Park.
"For guys like me who are too old to do anything anymore for our country, the opportunity to come here spend some time with the young people who are defending us, it is a thrill beyond words," said Jacobs.
Jacobs earned the Medal of Honor in 1969 for exceptional heroism on the battlefields of Vietnam. He was also awarded two Silver Stars and three Bronze Stars. He is currently a military analyst with NBC.
"I thought the show was great. It is always nice to see entertainers we wouldn't usually get to see in person," said Electronics Technician 2 nd Class Redell Matthews, a Dunn, N.C. native. "We are grateful for what the USO has done for us while we are here, away from our families for the holidays."
Sailors and Marines attached to NSA and its tenant commands, are deployed in support of maritime security operations (MSO).
MSO set the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment as well as complement the counter-terrorism and security efforts of regional nations. MSO deny international terrorists use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons, or other material.
| Date Taken: | 01.03.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 01.03.2006 09:31 |
| Story ID: | 4251 |
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| Web Views: | 277 |
| Downloads: | 48 |
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