USO Updates: Dog Tag Bakery Story (With Pretty Photos!)

Don't you love a story about a really, really good cause?

I sure do -- so much so that I wrote this one for the USO about a small, local non-profit in Washington, D.C. called Dog Tag Bakery.

Earlier this year, the USO was looking to highlight people, organizations, etc. around the country that exemplify the characteristic of being a "Force Behind the Forces" and I thought Dog Tag Bakery -- a bakery with a built-in job training program for transitioning service members -- was a perfect fit for the series.

Take a read...

Cassaundra Martinez doesn’t seem like someone who would be unemployed.

At 30, the former Army intelligence analyst and defense contractor, who boasts an impressive resume and a master’s degree from UMBC, should be in the middle of a rewarding, professional career. Instead, the mother of six and Military Spouse of the Year nominee is struggling to make professional strides.  

 In 2015, after one too many moves for her husband’s Army career, Martinez found herself unemployed, yet again, without any job prospects in sight. Despite applying to numerous positions in her family’s new duty station, Martinez couldn’t find work for over a year.  

"At that point I really lost my network. I lost all of my connections. I lost the rapid [pace] that I was growing at,“ Martinez said. "It was a struggle." 

That’s when Martinez, who’s family is currently stationed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, heard about the fellowship program at Dog Tag Bakery in nearby Washington, D.C.  

The work-study program, which provides transition support and hands-on professional development to disabled veterans and service members, military spouses and caretakers, seemed like the perfect fit. Martinez immediately applied and is now part of the fifth cohort of fellows to participate in the one-of-a-kind program.

Like what you read (and see -- I took the photos too!), then go to USO.org to see the rest!

More from the USO Route 75 Road Trip

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my day-job at the USO? Sometimes, between all the freelance photo/video gigs and Georgetown PR/CC grad school work, I forget to stop and think about how amazing my actual 9-5 is at the USO and how its this job that enables me to persue my side projects, like this blog.

Think about it: I get paid a big-girl salary with benefits to capture stories about an amazing non-profit that touches the lives of military members and their families.

I get to travel. I get to learn. I get to meet amazing people.

And, on top of that, I'm allowed the to pursue freelance opportunities and my graduate degree at the same time -- not many workplaces allow this type of flexibility! A not-so-much younger me would think this was pretty amazing/unbelievable/crazy cool.

Current me does too :)

Do you remember how I mentioned in an earlier post that I went on a mega USO Route 75 road trip with my fellow storytelling colleagues this spring? Well, now that its been several weeks since the final leg was completed, I'd love to share a few of the video stories I complied while on the trip.

This is only a handful of my videos -- there's a TON more I need to edit together. And I'll be sure to post more videos from my trip over the coming weeks!

Watch here:

Hello December, Hello Awesome USO Recipe Series

Guys, I have a confession. I've been holding back a super exciting project that I've been working on at the USO for a while from you. But now that it's officially launched, I can finally tell you all about it!

Drum roll, please... Introducing... my USO Celebrity Cookbook recipe series!

A few months ago my awesome boss stumbled upon an old USO Celebrity Cookbook from our archives and asked if I would be willing to test some of the recipes and launch a multimedia series about the cookbook, its history and how to make the different dishes. Naturally, I said yes. (Read the full story behind the series here.)

Cookbook, spatula and camera(s) in hand, I selected five of the star-studded recipes and set off to turn them into rich multimedia stories for the USO's online audience to enjoy. For five straight Fridays I turned my tiny apartment kitchen into a makeshift studio to test, film and photograph myself making each recipe. While this was super fun (and tasty), most of the legwork came in long after the treats were eaten.

I spent many days researching, writing stories, editing photos and videos and putting this multimedia project together. It's a five part series with long, beefy historical posts, Instavids, YouTube videos and custom graphics for each recipe, so each post took quite while to make. (Shout-out to the USO's awesome creative team, who helped design special graphics for the series!)

Now, two weeks into the five week series, I'm happy to say all my work during the months of August and September are finally paying off. The whole series looks great and is getting great reviews. Plus, who doesn't like to hear about the awesome celebrities who help support and spread the USO's mission?

You can take a look at the two currently published recipes here and here.

November Craziness: Spright Research, Georgetown Grad School, USO blogging & more!

Oh hi, it's me again. The blogger who forgets to write on her blog. Sigh. I really hope this once a month posting thing doesn't turn into a routine.

So, guess what? I'll make this post nice a meaty to make up for my lack of posting.

This past month has been a complete blur. While I haven't been writing a ton for Spright this month (a few of my stories that I wrote awhile ago did go up though!), I've been totally swamped with regular work for the USO and schoolwork for my PR/CC grad program at Georgetown.

I'm not going to lie, I'm really happy that I'm finally finished one of my classes, Introduction to Elements, at Georgetown. Don't get me wrong -- it was a wonderful class with a great professor and I learned a lot -- but it was a TON of work to do on top of a full-time job, a freelance gig, another class and having a social and personal life. Grad school is hard!

However, I did learn a lot of really valuable skills that will help me over the next four semesters I have at Georgetown and as I look forward into my future communications career. Oh, and I had a ton of fun making my final communications plan (responding to an imaginary RFP from CVS Health) look pretty using fun tools like Canva.

What can I say? I'm a creative at heart!

In USO land, things have been busier than ever. I had a few awesome stories I have been working on run over the past month -- in particular a story about historic floorboards at USO SeaTac and another story about the USO's Holiday Boxes program. I just love the way both of these stories turned out and look on the new USO site!

    

I also loved a story that published earlier in November on the USO's new site about a young couple -- Isaac and Jillian Strausbaugh -- that is transitioning out of military life. Isaac recently suffered a training injury, so the couple has been forced to leave the military world earlier than expected, which is what lead them to the USO's recent Caregivers Seminar in Tacoma, Washington (I wrote about this in more detail in an earlier blog).

They were an absolute delight to to talk with and I'm so grateful they shared their story with me so I could share it with others via the USO's outlets.

Anyway, as the holidays approach, I'll be sure to be a bit more judicious about updating my blog. I have so much coming down the pipe, it'll be hard to stay so quiet this month!

Seattle Adventures: On the Road Reporting for the USO

One of the best parts of my job, I think, is the opportunity to travel.

Last week, I got to head to Seattle/Tacoma to cover the USO's 10th Caregivers Seminar, which provides specialized programming to caregivers of wounded, ill and injured soldiers. The programming is actually really great and features sessions from gameonNation, Stronger Families and more.

Even though I had been to this seminar before in Fort Leonard Wood, Miss., I really enjoyed the opportunity to attend the seminar in this location. While the Fort Leonard Wood seminar was small and intimate, this session was quite large, with around 90 registered attendees. For me, more attendees means more stories, more dialogue and more interesting things to write and report about.

In particular, I got to meet Carleeh Mullholland, the wife and caregiver of medically retired Army Sgt. Cy Mullholland, who was diagnosed with severe PTSD and TBI after serving several tours in the Middle East as a tank commander. Carleeh shared her story with me and talked a bit about her personal journey and how she ended up at the Caregiver's Seminar. Here's a look at my USO blog story:

TACOMA, Wash. — Carleeh Mullholland didn’t choose to be a caregiver.

But when her husband, medically retired Army Sgt. Cy Mullholland, was diagnosed with severe PTSD and TBI after serving several tours in the Middle East as a tank commander, she stepped into the caregiving role — whether she was ready or not.

“It fell in my lap,” she said. “[I had to] take care of my husband and I didn’t really get a say-so.”

After receiving his official diagnosis, Cy served for several more years before eventually being medically discharged. During the family’s transition process out of the military, Carlee notes that her husband’s condition added another dimension to an already difficult and confusing time.

“You’re in this place where you don’t know where you are, you don’t know what’s going to happen, there’s no job for your spouse if he is unable to work [like my husband, who is disabled],” Carleeh said. “So you got to figure something out.”

Over the past few years, Carleeh, a mother of three, has started to figure it out

Read more here!

While at the seminar, I also spoke to a young military couple, Jill and Isaac Strausbaugh (Isaac is injured), who are in the process of transitioning out of the military. I haven't gotten around to writing their story yet, but I can promise you it will be a good one. Besides attending the Caregivers Seminar, I also got to head to RP/6 (an org that helps veterans/transition troops find jobs) and the USO SEATAC center for two other stories which are in process.

Even though it was a very busy (and fruitful!) reporting trip, I did get a chance to sneak a peek at some gorgeous Seattle/Tacoma sites. Mountains, anyone?

On Bandit, the USO's Comforting Canine

Remember a few months ago when I was trekking around Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, recording story about a wonderful dog named Bandit?

Well, if you don't, you can read about that here. If you do, keep reading. I have great news.

A few weeks ago, I finally finished editing together the video about Bandit, and it turned out awesome -- like, one-of-my-favorite-videos-ever kind of awesome. It has everything in it you could ever ask for a in a non-profit video: cute dogs, touching family stories, amazing people.

What can I say? Sometimes my job is really, really easy when I'm asked to tell such inspiring stories.

While I don't want to give too much away about the story (and take away too much traffic from the USO!), I will at least give you an embed of the video to enjoy. If you want to read more about Bandit and hear more about his work with the USO, click here.

Jetting Around For USO Stories: Part 1, NYC

I forgot how much I loved traveling for work. Seeing new places, meeting new people, being out of the office -- it's one of the many things that makes my job at the USO so wonderful.

But until last week, for nearly half of 2015, I hadn't had the opportunity to travel beyond the DC metro area to report a story since 2014. Needless to say, when my boss asked me if I could hit the road for a week to capture stories in NYC and Fort Leonard Wood, MO, I was more than ready to pack my bags and get back into the field.

I started off my marathon work travel week in NYC, where, in addition to capture a video story and writing a blog about OTMD, the adult leg of the USO Operation That's My Dress program, I got to spend time with my friend Tara, who I met playing softball at GW.

In addition to hanging out with her and her fiance on Friday night, the Saturday before I had to work, we wandered around Brooklyn for a bit, which I had never done before.

I even got to introduce Tara to another one of my close friends who lives in NYC during dinner on Saturday evening, which made me really happy.

Sidenote; I'm a big believer that, if my work schedule allows it, I should always try to squeeze in time to grab dinner or a drink with friends, colleagues or acquaintances who live in the area I'm visiting. It really makes work trips seem like much more than a plane trip and another night in a hotel room, savvy?

Anyway, back to the weekend. On Sunday, after a wonderful first half of the weekend with friends, I put on my working shoes on and headed the USO's launch of OTMD, the adult leg of the USO Operation That's My Dress program. Basically OTMD, along with its sister program, provides women in the military and military spouses a special day of pampering and fashion where they get to select and take home a FREE designer gown of their choice. Think Sherri Hill, Ralph Lauren and Ann Taylor -- for FREE! How cool is that?

To give you a better idea of what the program is all about, take a look at the video I shot and put together about the day. It'll put things into perspective.

Anyway, after shooting the video and having a ball at OTMD, I headed back to Penn Station to travel back to Washington, D.C. so I could jump on the next leg of my travel week adventure...

That time I got to interview Stevie Nicks & Peyton Manning for the USO

You know, I complain sometimes about having to lug around heavy gear and not being able to wear cute things to shoots... but other times I can't stop raving about the awesome things I do for the USO.

Like interviewing Stevie Nicks, Peyton Manning and other celebrities last Tuesday at the USO Metro Awards Dinner.

My job definitely has its perks.

Long story short, four stars -- Peyton Manning, Stevie Nicks, Sebastian Junger and Seema Reza, along with nearly 30 Medal of Honor recipients -- were honored for their contributions to the military community and I got to speak to them about the evening's festivities.

Pretty cool, huh?

As for shooting, press backdrops are never ideal, but because I was able to use two Icelights, plus a LED light panel on a Gorilla pod, I was able to make this otherwise drab shooting space look more than halfway decent.

Let me know what you think!

Stories on stories on stories for the USO

It's been a while since I've been out on a video shoot for the USO, which consequently means I've been spending a lot more time writing blog posts, feature stories and vignettes for the organization over the past few months.

Between writing about USO supporters and entertainers who were nominated for industry awards this year, to traveling through time for the USO's 74th birthday, to interviewing a mom who's son made the ultimate sacrifice, I've had some really interesting stories to follow over the past few months.

I think one of the most powerful stories I worked on, however, was the story about a recent USO President's Award winner, Shannon Huffman. During her shift at the USO center in Germany, Shannon took a series of actions to save a potentially suicidal service member from taking his life -- something that really resonated with me and shows what the USO is all about.

See, people seem to think the USO is just an organization that provides food and respite to service members around the world, when, in fact, we do so much more. See, the USO is there from the moment a troop enters boot camp to the moment he hangs up his boots. We're there for wounded and recovering soldiers, their caretakers and even veterans looking to land a civilian job. The USO is always by thier side -- and I'm so proud to work for them.

Anyway. Now that you know how much I love working for the USO, here's a full list of what I've been up to:

• ‘I Can See Him Here’: Mother Finds A Moment of Solace Through Visit to USO After Son’s Death
  
• USO Entertainers Shine at Academy Awards
  
• ‘He Came to Us’: USO Staffer in Germany Takes Action to Save the Life of Despondent Soldier
  
• Celebrate Valentine’s Day With These Five Huggable USO Moments
  
• USO Tour Veterans and Supporters Have a Big Night at the Grammys
  
• Photos Through the Decades: Celebrating the USO’s 74th Birthday
  
• USO Tour Veterans Katy Perry and Idina Menzel Set To Take the Stage at Super Bowl XLIX
  
• Bringing the Big Game to the Troops: USO Centers Around the World Prep for Super Bowl XLIX Festivities
  
• USO Veterans Rake in the Awards Nominations and Wins
  
• Jiffy Lube Franchises Join Forces to Raise over $19,000 for USO Delaware
  
• USO2GO Kits Lift the Spirits of Troops in Liberia

Behind the shoot: My USO Show Troupe Story About Performer Larissa Klinger Goes Live!

If you can remember, way back in September I took a whirlwind trip to NYC to film a number of projects for the USO, including a profile story about USO Show Troupe performer Larissa Klinger.

While I posted the photos I snapped while spending the day with Larissa earlier in 2014, I finally got a chance to put the long-feature video together at the beginning of 2015, and guys, I'm super proud of this one.

To bring this story to life, I basically spent the entire day with Larissa, carrying my 40lbs of gear around NYC on my back, documenting her day-to-day experience.

Layering all of the day-to-day footage I captured with the steller interview she gave me really helped formulate a very special, unique profile piece that the USO really hasn't produced much of in the past. I'm not going to tell you Larissa's story, because that would give the story away.

So really, you should just watch.

Side note, I didn't know Larissa well at all until I showed up on her doorstep at 6 a.m. Luckily, her and her husband were super kind and welcoming. What could have been an awkward day of stalker-ish shooting turned out to be a day full of fun.

Although a 14-hour shooting day sounds daunting, in reality, the biggest challenge in this project was the editing.

See, I'm a one-man-band.

In projects like this, its' only me doing all the work. Meaning only me is wafting through hours of footage trying to splice together a cohesive narrative that makes people feel. Don't get me wrong, I love doing it. It's my job. My passion. But man, the pile of footage I had to go through for this project was a little intimidating at first.

I think the only bigger volume of footage I've had to wade through was for the Romanian orphans peice I worked on with Brad Horn when I was producing at the Washington Post. That was a doozie.

Anyway. Take a look. Let me know in the comments what you think!

A Last Minute Chicago Trip for the USO

At the tail end of December, literally days before I headed off for my family's epic vacation to Hawaii (I'll get to that later) I headed off to Chicago for a last minute USO trip.

See, at USO Great Lakes, which is located at the naval base right outside of Chicago, they host monthly (actually, sorta weekly-ish) "No Dough Dinners" for troops and their families.

The idea behind these dinners is to provide a free meal to troops and their loved ones right before payday when the cash might not be flowing. Pretty cool, huh?

The particular No Dough Dinner I was in town for was a pancake dinner -- how fun! Let me tell you, conducting interviews, shooting b-roll and doing my job with the smell of bacon wafting through the error was a slow form of wonderful torture -- who can focus with bacon in the air? (Don't worry, I got some bacon at the end of the shoot.)

Here's a look at my photos from the event:

I think before I went on this shoot and talked to the wonderful staff, volunteers and patron troops USO Great Lakes, I didn't understand just how important these dinners were for everyone involved. For the troops, its a change to mix and mingle and get a quality meal in that takes different from the mess hall's grub. For volunteers and staff members, its a change to bond with troops and show the outside community the importance and impact of the USO on the surrounding community.

I just love being able to capture and share the importance of such a simple, yet important program, to the outside world.

Without further adieu, here's my video from my trip:

Warp Stablizing and Editing Away: A NASCAR/USO Video

In my blog post earlier this week I dished about my fantastic trip to Phoenix, Arizona last week for the USO and chatted about my first experience at a NASCAR event.

Now, a few days later (hey, better late than never, right?) I give you my video wrap of the event.

Normally when I produce videos, I don't have too many techincal issues or logistical problems and am able to turn them around a lot quicker, but when it came to this peice, well, things didn't go so smoothly.

See, I wasn't allowed to bring a tripod into the NASCAR stadium (arena? track? area?) on the day of the race. While my interview with Trevor Bayne is beautiful and a steady shot, it was taken the day before the race when I had extra time to set up the shot and use a tripod.

The other interviews, well, aren't as pretty. Shaky footage = a headache in the editing room.

Novice video editors, if you're reading this, take some advince. Always, always use a tripod for your interviews unless you can't because of venue rules. Shaky b-roll is acceptable. Shaky interviews are not.

My solution to the shaky mess I created? The magical warp stabilizing tool that is part of Premier Pro CC. Although it bumps up the file size a bunch, and requires some fine tuning, this magic tool turned my unacceptable footage and made it average and acceptable.

Still, my advice. Always go for the tripod. It'll save you the headache.

Speeding to Arizona: Shooting NASCAR Race for USO, Interviewing Driver Trevor Bayne & Meeting Medal of Honor Recipient Fred Ferguson

I used to think NASCAR was as simple as driving fast cars around in circles for a few hours and calling it a day.

Boy, was I wrong.

This past weekend I headed down to Phoenix, Arizona to cover the USO’s presence at the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) event at Phoenix International Raceway and got a true education about all the complexities and strategy that goes behind the sport. And yes, I said sport, you read that right.

After spending a full watching all they do out there on the track and talking to the drivers and pit teams, my opinion on whether or not to call NASCAR a sport has changed. It is totally a sport that requires quite a bit of strategy, team work and physical preparation.

Chess, however, is still not a sport. Sorry.

Anyway, the entire reason why I had the wonderful opportunity to jet to Phoenix was because Trevor Bayne, who drives his No. 6 Ford Mustang for Rousch Fenway Racing, featured the USO logo on his vehicle this weekend in honor of Veterans Day this week. In addition to having the USO logo on his far, Bayne also had Medal of Honor recipient Fred Ferguson’s name on his passenger door — something that I understood is very, very special in NASCAR and doesn’t happen very often at all.

While the weekend was a total blur (I was shooting photos and videos — fellow media people know doing both at the same time is craaaazy), I honestly enjoyed my time on the track.

I was surprised at how friendly and down to earth almost everyone I met was, including Trevor, who’s my age. Plus, I think I got some awesome shots and captured some special moments for Fred and the other USO VIPs that were with the group on Saturday. I even got to sit down and talk with Trevor on Friday before the race and snapped this Instavid!

@roushfenway driver @tbayne21 took a moment to thank #troops before this weekend’s @nascar Nationwide Series (NNS) event @phoenixraceway. Bayne’s No. 6 @advocare Ford Mustang will feature the USO logo and the name of Medal of Honor recipient, Frederick Ferguson. #usomoments #military #militaryappreciation #nascar #racing #RFRdriven #phoenix #latergram

A video posted by The USO (@theuso) on Nov 11, 2014 at 8:38am PST

Honestly, I felt very honored to be the one capturing this special occasion for the USO and Fred, who was a total hoot and a wonderful man. When I wasn’t busy shooting photos or videos, I found myself chatting with Fred and listening to all of his stories from when he was in the service. He’s lived quite an interesting life and has seen a fair amount of the world and country thanks to his service. I just hope that when I’m that old I’ll have such amazing stories to share.

You know, I think that there’s always something special to be learned from veterans and older people in general. All too often, I think people discount the elderly and their tales, or only remember those who served twice a year.

Meeting Fred and seeing how much he enjoyed Saturdays events — meeting people, being honored by a standing ovation, seeing his name on the car — was a nice reminder to continually say thank you not only to veterans, but people in general, a bit more than we already do.

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.

Volunteers are just so awesome, aren't they? My latest video for the USO.

BOO! Happy Halloween, you spooky one, you ;)

When I was down in Ft. Benning a few weeks ago shooting a few stories for the USO, I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down and chat with the October Sesame Street/USO Moment Maker of the Month, Elizabeth Gasper.

In my line of work with the USO, I get to talk to a lot of amazing people: Troops who have been injured; Stay at home moms who hold down the fort at home while daddy protects America overseas; Even 60-year-old grandmas who spend their days volunteering for free at their local USO center; And yes, people like Elizabeth Gasper, who are just trying to do the little everyday things to make a difference in their local community.

While Elizabeth has not won any wars or ever worn a uniform herself, she's played a key role in the web of support for those that do chose to put their lives on the line for our country. Elizabeth works for the Ft. Benning MWR, or, for us laypeople, the Ft. Benning Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation -- aka the people who help make sure troops and their families are happy and healthy participants their community.

While this might sound like any old desk job, the more I thought about the importance of Elizabeth Gasper's job to troops across Ft. Benning. Without people like Elizabeth, who would help plan fun family activities during the holidays? Who would ensure military families, and not just the troops, also receive the adequate care and entertainment they so desperately need during difficult times, like deployments?

It's for all these reasons that Elizabeth Gasper was awarded October's Sesame Street/USO Moment Maker of the Month Award, and the reason why I was able to do a video feature about her and her wonderful work with the Ft. Benning community.

A family's Sesame Street story: Tales from Ft. Benning

Remember a few weeks ago I mentioned that I was in Ft. Benning for work for the USO? Well, I finally finished the second story I shot from my trip!

It's a really special video about Samantha Curtis, mother of two, and her awesome family. Right now, Samantha's husband, Zach, is deployed, leaving her home with two kids under three.

While she does what she can to keep the kids busy while daddy's away, Curtis had the chance to go see the USO/Sesame Street show in Ft. Benning -- entirely for free -- and I got to tag along.

Here's their story: