Photo By Spc. Brittany Gardner | U.S. Division-South soldiers applaud the rock group Toy’s performance at the old...... read more read more
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BASRA, Iraq – In another sign that 36th Infantry Division soldiers will return home soon, the morale, welfare and recreation team conducted the last MWR concert here, July 14. The concert featured the country group Stealing Angels and rock group Toy.
1st Lt. Joshua Mixon, U.S. Division-South programs manager officer-in-charge, plans and coordinates the MWR events and concerts for COB Basra. He and his team have planned and executed more than 50 events since he arrived here with the 36th Inf. Div. in December 2010. Mixon said executing the last MWR tour is another sign the soldiers here are preparing to return home.
“It’s the last tour,” said Mixon, “which sounds like a bad thing, but it’s certainly not because it means that (our mission) in Iraq is ending. It’s coming to a close.”
Members of Stealing Angels and Toy said they felt honored to have the opportunity to perform for the troops in Iraq and Kuwait.
“It’s cool,” said Tayla Lynn, singer for Stealing Angels. “I mean, everybody’s going home so it’s sort of neat to be one of the sending-off concerts. So we just feel blessed to be here and be a part of it.”
Soldiers were excited to see the bands perform, Lynn said. Before the concert began, Soldiers and civilians kept their cameras handy to get photos with the group members and capture each moment of the last concert held here.
“The soldiers are so welcoming and their energy’s so fired up,” said Lynn. “We played a show last night and tonight where everybody’s just clapping and jumping up and down, and we feel like people are really grateful that we’re here. So, it’s been so much fun, and we feel so welcomed.”
Mixon said it’s sad to know he won’t plan anymore MWR tours on this deployment, but it lets him know he and the other soldiers are one step closer to home.
“Soldiers are wrapping up in more ways than one,” said Mixon, “and this is just another way for soldiers to have some closure on their tour here.”
| Date Taken: | 07.14.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 07.25.2011 12:56 |
| Story ID: | 74288 |
| Location: | BASRA, IQ |
| Web Views: | 77 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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