Rock Star to Soldier!!!!

Frank Cavanaugh, former bass player with the bank Filter,

reunites with the band in Kuwait.

Frank Cavanaugh has taken a path most people would never expect. He was the bass player in the rock band FILTER for eight years. He gave up being a rock star and enlisted in the Army Reserves. He is a Sergeant and Paralegal and will be deploying to Iraq in April.

In March, Sgt Cavanaugh reunited with the band to play in Kuwait in the Operation My Space concert.

When the age limit for entering the military was fast approaching, Cavanagh said, he knew he had to take action. "At the time when I joined, the age limit was 35 and I was 34. ... I thought, 'I really want to do something with the military before I can't anymore; I never want to look back and regret it.'"

Cavanagh said it's important for servicemembers to understand what their sacrifice means to America.

"Political or not, if you live in America, it's a country that allows you to express yourself politically," he said. "And the whole reason behind that is the people in the military have made sacrifices so that our country can be what it is."

To read more about Sgt Cavanaugh - go here: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=49407

To hear an interview with Sgt Cavanaugh about the band and his Army service - go here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stations/PentagonRadioNetwork/ASYLive/2008/03/27/A-Rock-Star-Military-Sergeant-

Operation MySpace was a concert to honor American military soldiers by MySpace that aired on the internet on myspace.com. The event was held on March 10, 2008 in Kuwait. It will be re-broadcast for television on Saturday April 12, 2008 at 11p.m. on FX.

And, kudos to Dr Pepper who foot the bill to get Sgt Cavanaugh to Kuwait for the reunion concert~~

This You Tube video some of the concert: http://youtube.com/watch?v=nuPn91EDz3I

Sgt Cavanaugh is at the beginning and at about 2:50 into the video.

Robin Williams and the USO Tour to the Middle East

Over Christmas, the Charirman's USO Tour, consisting of

Robin Williams, Kid Rock, Miss USA - Rachel Smith, Lance Armstrong and Lewis Black

visited many bases in the Middle East.

I heard first hand about what a great show it was!

Below, is Robin Williams talking about the tour and showing some footage

and expressing pride and admiration for our fine military.

That part starts about 4 minutes in, if you don't want to wait.

President Bush Visits Troops in Kuwait

President George W. Bush shakes hands with a Soldier after his speech at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Jan 12. Bush thanked the troops and their families for their hard work and sacrifice. (Photo by Spc. Giancarlo Casem)

President George W. Bush waves at troops as he walks to the stage to speak to Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines during his visit to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Jan. 12.

(Photo/U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Sara A. Carter)

U.S. President George Bush greets thousands of Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coastguardsmen at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait

(Photo/U. S. Marine Corps Sgt. Sara A. Carter)

U.S. President George Bush greets thousands of Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coastguardsmen at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait

Photo by Sgt 1st Class Paul Tuttle

(click to enlarge)

U.S. President George Bush addresses thousands of Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coastguardsmen at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait

Photo by Sgt 1st Class Paul Tuttle

Gen. David Petraeus, left, commander of Multi-National Forces – Iraq, and Lt. Gen. James J. Lovelace, commander of Third Army (Forward), watch as U.S. President George Bush addresses Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coastguardsmen at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Jan. 12. Bush thanked Third Army for their work supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom after meeting with Petraeus and U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, earlier in the morning to receive an update of the war.

Photo by Sgt 1st Class Paul Tuttle

Gen. David Petraeus, left, commander of Multi-National Forces - Iraq, and Lt. Gen. James J. Lovelace, commander of Third Army (Forward), watch as U.S. President George Bush greets Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coastguardsmen of Third Army at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait

Photo by Sgt 1st Class Paul Tuttle

U.S. President George Bush greets Maj. Gen. Dennis E. Hardy, deputy commander of Third Army (Forward), after addressing Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coastguardsmen assigned to Third Army at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Jan. 12. Bush thanked the service members for their hard work supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Paul Tuttle, 1st Sustainment Command (Theater) Public Affairs

Commander-in-Chief Offers Message of Hope

to Service Members in Kuwait
By Staff Sgt. Jacob A. McDonald
50th Public Affairs Detachment

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait – President George W. Bush made a stop in Kuwait Saturday during his Middle East tour to meet with key U.S. leaders and speak to service members deployed to the Third Army/U.S. Army Central area of operations in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

Bush met with the U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker, and Gen. David Petraeus, commander, Multi-National Forces Iraq, to discuss the situation in Iraq as well as the progress made and the challenges ahead.

“We discussed the fact that whatever happens in Iraq impacts everything else in the entire region,” Bush said. He then discussed the changes and improvements that came from the troop surge and the strategy change in Iraq over the last year. “Iraq is now a different place from one year ago,” Bush said. “Much hard work remains but levels of violence are significantly reduced. Hope is returning to Baghdad and hope is returning to towns and villages throughout the country.”

Bush also spoke about how the Iraqis are taking control of their own government and coming together despite religious differences to build a common future and diminish violence.

In his statement Bush spoke about U.S. forces returning home due to the changes in Iraq. He stated that any additional reduction will be based on Petraeus’ recommendations, based on the conditions on the ground in Iraq.

“I have believed all along that if people are given a chance to live in a free society they will do the hard work necessary to live in a free society,” he said.

He also spoke about the importance of the concerned citizen groups who are stepping up to help provide local security in addition to the Iraqi surge of 100,000 local police and Iraqi troops.

“We must do all we can to ensure 2008 brings even greater progress for Iraq’s young democracy. Long-term success in Iraq is vital to our friends here in the region and to America’s national security” Bush said. “In a place where Saddam Hussein once menaced the world, the new U.S., Iraqi relationship will strengthen a democracy that serves its people, fights terrorists and serves as a beacon of freedom for millions across the Middle East.”

Bush then moved on to speak with several thousand service members gathered at the Zone 6 stage on Camp Arifjan. He encouraged the service members to continue their work in supporting the mission. During his speech he thanked Lt. Gen. James J. Lovelace, commander, Third Army/ USARCENT, and the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and civilians serving for their hard work in completing the support and logistical mission in Kuwait.

“In the long term, the best way to defeat the ideology of hate is one with an ideology of hope and that is one with liberty at its fundamental core,” Bush said. The assembled troops responded with a loud, “hooah.”

“It’s hard work but it is necessary work,” he continued. “I thank you for what you are doing. There is no doubt in my mind that when the history is written, the final page will say, ‘Victory was achieved by the United States of America for the good of the world.’”

Following the speech to the troops Petraeus and Crocker spoke to media about the meeting they had with the President. They highlighted the importance of political reconciliation in Iraq.

“Reconciliation is more than national legislation,” Crocker said. “It’s also what we are seeing in provinces around the country. There is more cross-sectarian political activity. As security improves and some of the tensions reduce we are seeing more political activity and more steps toward reconciliation. There is still a long way to go. We are seeing some encouraging steps now at both the national and local levels.”

Petraeus said troop withdrawals would depend on whether things get better, stay the same or decline as U.S. troops pull out and Iraqi Security Forces take over. He stated that Iraqi citizens and security forces are preparing to take on the security of their own country. He said recommendations for continued withdrawal will be based on the situation in the country.

First Lady, Laura Bush, Visits the Troops in Kuwait

By Sgt. Sara Wood,

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2007 – First lady Laura Bush visited troops in Kuwait today to thank them for their service, calling them a force for good in the Middle East. (Video)

“At the heart of your mission to protect America's freedom is securing the freedom of others,” Bush told the troops. “Because of our men and women in uniform, 50 million people who once lived in tyranny can now choose the future direction of their countries and their own lives.”

Bush noted that the U.S. troops, from the Army’s Task Force 1146 and the Air Force’s 386th Air Expeditionary Group, provide top-notch missile defense, combat rescue and support, medical evacuation, air surveillance, and supply services to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each year, more than 700,000 military personnel move there on their way to and from Iraq and Afghanistan, she said, and the soldiers and airmen move them efficiently and professionally.

U.S. troops in the Middle East are building a foundation of friendship between America and countries in the region, Bush said. Because of the sacrifices troops made in the early 1990s, Kuwait now is a prosperous nation making important strides toward democracy, she said. During a meeting yesterday with Kuwaiti political leaders, Bush said, an official told her, “We will never, ever forget” America's liberation of Kuwait. “It's engraved in our hearts and in our history books.”

Bush’s trip to the Middle East is to promote the U.S.-Middle East Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness Research. She said troops in the Middle East are helping make things like this possible and helping people of the region improve their lives.

“With your courage and compassion, you show that the United States military is one of the greatest forces for good in the world,” Bush told the troops.

Bush recounted several stories of compassion and bravery by U.S. troops in the Middle East, such as two officers who helped save the lives of two Kuwaiti civilians in a car accident, troops who coordinated medical care for an Iraqi boy with a serious condition, and an Army Reserve staff sergeant who stopped a suicide bomber in Afghanistan.

“Across the Middle East and around the world, many stories of compassion and self-sacrifice we hear,” the first lady said. “When Americans hear these stories, we think of them as extraordinary acts of heroism. To the men and women in our armed forces, they're just all in a day's work.”

Bush reminded the troops that Americans understand and appreciate the sacrifices they make. She said that she and President Bush get letters from people who say they’re proud of the troops and believe in them.

“If you want the real measure of how Americans feel about you and your mission, listen for the love and pride in phone calls from your families,” she said. “Read the encouragement in e-mails from your friends. Read the stories in the news, the ones about the Main Street parades organized to honor hometown heroes.”

****************************

She delivered a great speech - to read the full transcript, go here.

It was touching to see the troops with her - their ovations were standing, loud, strong and long.

Feeding Freedom

Outback Steakhouse

Serves Meals to Troops

in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq

Soldiers are treated to food from Outback Steakhouse on June 13 at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan.

Mark Moses, owner of Carrabba's Italian Grill in Fayetteville N.C., cooks steaks for soldiers June 13 at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan


Army Pfc. Jason McGregor, military policeman, 546th Military Police Company, 385th MP Battalion, Fort Stewart, Ga., decides between chocolate or carrot cake for dessert June 13 at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan.

Soldiers enjoy food from Outback Steakhouse June 13 at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan.

Restaurant Brings Taste of Home to Deployed Troops
Article and Photos By Sgt. Matthew Clifton, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan, June 15, 2007 -

A large line could be seen extending from the chow hall here as the aroma of steak floated across the base June 13.

Soldiers here were treated to a little taste of home when "Feeding Freedom 5" brought the "Down Under" taste of Outback Steakhouse to the base dining facility.

"Feeding Freedom" is the program that brings food from Outback Steakhouse to servicemembers deployed overseas. Thanks to numerous donations and volunteers from the United States, the troops at Salerno enjoyed a vast menu, including rib-eye steaks, calamari, vegetable ravioli, chocolate and carrot cake, and the signature Outback dish -- the "Bloomin' Onion."

"It makes me feel real special to have these guys come over here and risk their own safety just to bring us something good to eat," said Army Spc. Sharice Lidell, a water purification specialist with the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team. "I love steak, and it really shows a lot about their character that they come here."

Feeding Freedom 5 has been to Kuwait and is headed to Al Asad Air Base, Iraq.

A reccurring sentiment wherever the people of Feeding Freedom go is gratitude. They are very thankful for what servicemembers are doing, but this sentiment is reciprocated by the enormous appreciation the troops have for the volunteers.

"This is just our way of saying thank you to the troops," said Lisa Ross, a regional service technician with Outback. "We are only here for a couple weeks, but these guys are here for a year."

Most of the volunteers with Feeding Freedom are owners and operators of Outback Steak Houses and Carrabba's Italian Grills. The volunteers of Feeding Freedom worked diligently throughout the meal making sure every table had a fresh Bloomin' Onion, clearing the empty plates for the troops, and having friendly conversations with the soldiers.

"It's such a reality check," said Mandi Cannon, a volunteer and regional service technician for Carrabba's. "Not a lot of people know exactly what goes on over here."

Cannon alluded to a mission she saw where water was being loaded in an aircraft to be dropped to people in the field. "It shows me just how rough some of these guys have it over here," she continued. "And that's why I volunteered -- strictly to say, 'Thank you.'"

During the dinner, laughter could be heard mixed with compliments on the excellence of the food. Volunteers were chatting with soldiers everywhere.

"Everybody is so excited we are here," Cannon said. "When we were in Kuwait, I'll always remember what one of the guys said to me. "He said, 'Today's chow tastes like freedom.' That is something I will never forget."

(Army Sgt. Matthew Clifton is assigned 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)

***********

I've got to say that this puts Outback Steakhouse on my list of places to eat!

Chely Wright Performs in Iraq

Country singer/songwriter Chely Wright performs for more than 1,000 Third Army/ U.S. Army Central servicemembers at Camp Buehring, Feb. 26. Wright's concert was the first of a 10-day, Stars for Stripes tour throughout Kuwait, Iraq and a welcome home ceremony in Germany. This is her fourth tour to the Middle East since 2003.

Country Singer Chely Wright signs an autograph for Cpl. Sammuel T. White with Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS)-273 after a Morale, Welfare, and Recreation show inside the theatre for service members stationed on Al Asad Air Base, Iraq. MWSS-273 is deployed as a part of MNF-W in support of Operation Iraq Freedom in the Al Anbar province of Iraq to develop the Iraqi Security Forces, facilitate the development of official rule of law through democratic government reforms and continue the development of a market based economy centered on Iraqi reconstruction. (Official USMC photograph by Cpl. Sheila M. Brooks)

Chely Wright just returned from a 10 day tour of Kuwait, Iraq and Germany on a "Thank You Tour" for the men and women serving overseas.

She stopped at: Camp Beuhring, Kuwait; Camp Slayer, Camp Liberty, Camp Prosperity, Balad Air Base, Camp Speicher, Al Asad Air Base, Iraq; and Ray Barracks, Germany. This was her fourth tour to the middle east.

"As long as there are boots on the ground and boots in the air, there are a bunch of us that just want to say thank you," Chely Wright told her audience. "I am commited to coming here as long as we have troops in Iraq. The folks back home pray every day for you, and I just want to thank so many who have asked me to come over here."

She always sings "Bumper of My SUV" for her military audiences. But, getting through it without being emotional is difficult.

Thank you to all of the entertainers who take the time to entertain our military!