Behind the Shoot: Filming Trace Adkins & Casey James in at Ft. Hood for the USO

Note: I posted a previous version of this blog post featuring photos that I had to take down for legal reasons. Thank you for understanding and please watch the video I produced from the event & read the new-and-improved post! :)

There's something about shooting a concert that makes me tingle with excitement, without a doubt, each and every time. Maybe it's the huge crowd of excited people. Maybe it's the music blaring in the air. Or maybe, it's the colorful stage lights that twinkle in the audience's eyes.

Whatever reason, I always look forward to covering concerts for the USO -- almost as much as I look forward to doing feature stories with military families, those are still my favorite things to shoot.

While I was busy running (literally running) around shooting video from the day's events and didn't get a chance to chat with any of the military families at the concert, I did get to chat with the USO photographer who was also covering the event, Fred Greaves. He was super nice and I had quite a fun time geeking out with him over photography. It's always nice to meet new people at these events -- even if those new people are working for the same company as me!

Bearing all this in mind, it should come at no surprise to hear that I had a blast while covering my latest assignment for the USO -- a free concert in Ft. Hood featuring Trace Adkins and Casey James. Not only did I get the chance to head back to the 'Great Place' and my home state, but I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with both Trace and Casey and ask them about their respective histories of performing for troops around the world.

Both men have traveled overseas (Trace many, many times with the USO) to entertain deployed service men and women over the years and spoke very sincerely about their admiration for the work and sacrifices troops make by serving the country. I think that's one common theme that runs through all of the celebrity performer interviews I do for the USO -- they all seem so appreciative to be able to sing, dance, do whatever, for men and women in uniform. Often times, they feel like the troops are doing more of a service for them then they are for the troops. It's really moving to see such popular performers speak so humbly about their time spent with troops. I wish everyone could hear them speak so candily and from the heart.

That, at least, is a constant reminder to me that my job to capture these unique sentiments is just that much more important.

Stories, so many stories to tell: Military proposals & Trace Adkins preview for the USO

I like to think of myself as a professional storyteller, thank you very much.

I remember growing up and creating these elaborate tales in my head and trying to act them out with my friend Morgan using our extensive Pound Puppies collections which we further dressed up as wizards or princesses. A wizard stuffed puppy.

I don't apologize for my seven-year-old self's weird innovation.

Looking back, I should have known that I would keep telling stories years down the road. Now, I consider myself lucky to do it for a living and as a personal hobby. I really just can't get enough.

Part of my work at the USO is to write about the touching events that take place at our centers around the world. 

All last week I was working on a special story about a young newlywed couple who, thanks to the help of USO San Antonio, was able to sneak in that perfect proposal moment before the big day.
Here's a snippet from my story:

When most girls dream about their perfect proposal, they imagine flowers, a ring and their future husband down on one knee — not a long-distance call from a boyfriend hundreds of miles away. 

But for Pvt. Zoe Tunchez and Pvt. Emmanuel Aleman, who are stationed at different Army bases, a happy phone conversation seemed like the closest to a fairy-tale proposal they would get. 

That is, until Aleman, his mother, Marita Maldonado, and USO San Antonio teamed up to give Tunchez the surprise of a lifetime.

(You can read the full story here.)

I also had the awesome task of interviewing the multi-platinum country music artist, Trace Adkins, before a concert that his performing for military families in Fort Hood this Saturday, which I will also be attending and covering for the USO.

Adkins told me all about his history of working with the USO and traveling around the world to entertain troops and their families and talked about the strange sense of guilt he feels after performing for a military crowd. Here's an excerpt of my blog post:

When Trace Adkins steps off stage after performing in Fort Hood, Texas, this Saturday, he knows he will feel the guilt. It’s a guilt the eight-time USO tour veteran says he feels after every USO show.

“You’ll never find a more appreciative audience than the members of the military,” Adkins said. “Every USO tour I’ve been on, I leave there feeling a little guilty every time. I always feel like they gave me more than I gave them. And it’s always felt like that.”

The multi-platinum country artist, who previously performed at Fort Hood during the 2010 WWE and NBC ‘Tribute to the Troops,’ says there’s something special about entertaining troops and their families that he’s looking forward to experiencing again at Saturday’s show, sponsored by PenFed Credit Union.

(You can read the full story here.)

These are just a snapshot of some of the amazing work the USO does at its centers each and every day. It's just my job to share the stories of that work. And I love each and every moment I get to do just that.