I ♥ Fort Benning

Our last show was on Saturday for the Trainees at Ft. Benning. If you saw the Tour Diaries uploaded from this week, then you saw a bit of footage.... but I have yet to try to put it into words. :)

We've played at Ft. Benning before. The first show we played there still ranks as one of my all time most memorable and favorite shows. The guys were chanting my name at intermission, and they were one of the best crowds I have ever played in front of. And there's youtube footage to prove it. ;)

This time they were putting on a similar event. But they had to move the event indoors from the field where we were supposed to play. The snow that pounded southern Georgia last week caused a lot of shifting of well.... just about everything. They had to split the big giant event into two smaller events. We were playing for the "I. A.M. Strong" Tour which is an uplifting entertainment tour emphasizing the "I. A.M. Strong" message of sexual harassment and sexual assault prevention.

The I. A.M. acronym stands for Intervene. Act. and Motivate.

The tour is headlined by Leigh Jones and she was such an inspiration to watch and talk to. I was honored to be invited to be a part of this event!

I can't tell you how powerful it is to be in a packed room with this nation's finest. To have the opportunity to provide entertainment for them is a gift, an honor, and a pleasure. And those boys sure know how make a girl feel welcome :) It's an incredible feeling to stand on stage in front of the men (and women... but it was all men at Ft. Benning) that protect, sacrifice, and serve this unbelievable country. And I don't think I have never been called "Ma'am" that many times in one day!!!

One of my favorite memories of the whole show was right afterwards. I had to quickly help clear the stage, but then of course, I ran out to talk to the guys and sign autographs. They were all in full Army fatigues, but the guys working the event also had on orange vests. They had all put on their "I. A.M. STRONG" t-shirts that were given out at the event. And one by one. Each of those fine boys lined up, opened his orange vest, nodded and said "Ma'am" as I signed their shirts. Ahhhhh. I could get used to that!!! :)

And standing there with them after my show... I listened to the message of I. A.M. STRONG from Danny B - a soldier who is an incredibly talented rapper. He knows how to get those guys to pay attention and he got them ALL RILED UP!!!! It's such an eye opener to be in the room with those men. They have so much love for this country and their brothers. To get a glimpse into that is something I could never put into words.

Plus I feel an even stronger connection and pull to Fort Benning because that is where my own Daddy trained. Even though I wasn't even a thought yet, I feel so much pride when I am there.

As if getting to play for them isn't enough... they gave each of us the Fort Benning coin!



And here's a little more about the purpose of the I. A.M. STRONG tour.

The entertainment tour was designed to help military communities realize:

* When I recognize a threat to my fellow Soldiers, I will have the personal courage to intervene and prevent sexual assault. I will condemn acts of sexual harassment. I will not abide obscene gestures, language or behavior. I am a warrior and a member of a team. I will intervene.

* You are my brother, my sister, my fellow Soldier. It is my duty to stand up for you, no matter the time or place. I will take action. I will do what's right. I will prevent sexual harassment and assault. I will not tolerate sexually offensive behavior. I will act.

* We are American Soldiers, motivated to keep our fellow Soldiers safe. It is our mission to prevent sexual harassment and assault. We will denounce sexual misconduct. As Soldiers, we are all motivated to take action. We are strongest together.

'nuff said.

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie