USA EXPRESS
STEAMS INTO OEF
Pvt. 2 Terri Rorke and Spc. Travis Edwards
11th Public Affairs Detachment and 1st COSCOM PAO
Freedom Watch - June 2, 2003
Operation Enduring Freedom - The U.S.A. Express Band entertained U.S. service members at Camp Stronghold Freedom, Uzbekistan, Thursday as the first stop in their Operation Enduring Freedom tour and Saturday at Bagram (Afghanistan).
The original Army Entertainment tradition of "Entertainment by the soldier, for the soldier" was started by Sgt. Israel Beilin, more commonly known as Irving Berlin.
The Band, part of the Army Entertainment Division at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, consists of seven active-duty U.S. Army soldiers who perform for audiences all over the world. They are released from their units and attached to the band for 120 day tours.
The band has been on the road since early March with recent stops in the States and several camps in Kuwait. The performance in Bagram was the first in the Base's new Civic Center.
"I am really blessed I got in", said one of the band's four vocalists, Sgt. Sabrina Bradford, who was selected to sing for the band after submitting an audition tape to USA Express. "Each and every day, we see different faces and meet new people...getting to put smiles on people's faces - that's our main goal!"said Bradford. Her singing experience includes two years in the U.S. Army Europe Soldier's Choir.
"The band is so full of energy and excitement", said spectator Pfc. Jeremy Russell 373rd Corps Support Battalion, Camp Stronghold Freedom. "They took a crowd of spectators and turned them into fans."
The basic components of the band include bass, guitar, percussion, drums, keyboards and vocals. Other instruments include the occasional harmonica or specialty item depending on the soldier's musical talents.
"Each one of us has a special talent that makes our combined sound unique, "said Spc. Hope Griffin, U.S.A. Express vocalist.
Spc. Efrain Garcia, U.S.A. Express drummer has been on the U.S.A. Express Band twice. "I look forward to every performance where we visit a calm crowd, and then leave behind a wild one."
The band sang from a wide variety of musical genres and even motivated some of the crowd to participate in the entertainment.
"Each show is different because we open the microphone to anyone who wants to stand up and perform," said Sgt. Cashina Smith, "U.S.A. Express vocalist.
"It was a great show,"said Andrew Solomon, Bagram's Morale, Welfare, Recreation coordinator.
Each U.S.A. Express tour is made up of about nine members, who travel between four to five months to where ever - to entertain troops", said Sgt Sam Richardson, noncommissioned officer in charge of U.S.A. Express.
Pictures -
Top: Spc. Valerie Day, keyboardist and vocalist, U.S.A. Express, serenades a U.S. Marine from Marine Air-Traffic control-4, Camp Stronghold Freedom, Uzbekistan, during a concert performance Thursday.
Above: Guitarist Spc Jerry Elmore rocks to the music Thursday.
Above: U.S. Army Express Band dance the night away with U.S. Service members at Camp Stronghold Freedom. (Photos by Spc. Travis Edwards)
(Editor's note: Spc. Travis Edwards is the public affairs NCOIC of the Joint Logistics Command)
