USO tour brings high spirits to KMC


Members of the 86th Airlift Wing greet Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld, Jr., the ninth Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as he arrives at the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, April 20, 2012. During the United Services Organization and Armed Forces Entertainment tour, Winnefeld, joined with a cast of entertainers, visited with troops stationed overseas. The tour consisted of live performances, and the group visited different organizations throughout the Kaiserslautern Military Community. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Caitlin O'Neil-McKeown)

USO tour brings high spirits to KMC

by Airman 1st Class Hailey Haux
86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

4/20/2012 - RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- The United Service Organizations' spring tour brought the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a cast of celebrities to show their support for service members and their families here, April 19.

"It has been a wonderful opportunity to meet great Airmen and other joint warriors who are here serving our country and their families," said Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "It's been a terrific day."

The vice chairman was joined by actors, Dennis Haysbert and Anthony Anderson; baseball pitcher, Randy "Big Unit" Johnson; American Idol alumni, Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young; motion picture and TV personality, Jason "Wee Man" Acuna and three of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders; Brittany Evans, Ally Traylor and Kelsi Reich.

Troops and their families watched with smiles on their faces as each celebrity spoke, immediately followed by a short musical performance.

"We are here to show our support to our troops no matter what part of the world they are in," said "Wee Man," who is on his second tour here. "I like it here because it's mellow, laid back and I love interacting with those who give me my freedom to do what I do."

The performance was followed by an opportunity for troops and families to take pictures and meet with the celebrities.

"I am glad I had the chance to meet these people," said Airman 1st Class Kyle Jamison, 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron vehicle maintainer. "What other profession can you have celebrities come up and thank you for what you do every day?"

The spring tour marks 71 years of continuous trips to military installations where celebrities and military leadership have given a taste of home to service members.

"The celebrities seemed to care about the people here," said Airman 1st Class Robert Ruiz, 86th VRS vehicle maintainer. "Randy Johnson signed my work gloves and Anthony Anderson asked me what I did and was genuinely interested in my answer."

While at Ramstein, the vice chairman and celebrities toured the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility where Airmen provide 24/7 support to wounded warriors and ensure world-class care while transitioning the warriors to the next higher level of care or return to service.

Additionally, they visited the Deployment Transition Center to learn more about resiliency training the center provides to service members returning home from deployment.

"It's great to be able to do this and see the celebrities interact with the Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen," said Winnefeld. "We appreciate what a great job everyone is doing and wanted to say thank you."