Tropic Lightning Puts on the ‘Groove’

Defend America News ^ | Spc. Mike Alberts

[SandRat]

Tropic Lightning Puts on the ‘Groove’
Concert gives soldiers a break from the war.
By Spc. Mike Alberts 3rd Brigade Public Affairs CAMP BEUHRING, Kuwait, Aug. 29, 2006 — For a moment, soldiers were anywhere but in the desert. There was no wind, sand, heat or war. In their minds, soldiers were transported by the power of music to more familiar places. For a moment, soldiers got their “groove” on. “V.C. Groove,” a 76th Army Band ensemble, performed live for Tropic Lightning soldiers and others at the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation stage here at Camp Beuhring, Kuwait, Aug. 3. “Music heals the soul,” said Staff Sgt. Teal Warren, group leader and bass guitarist, V Corp. “When we play, soldiers are not thinking about what happened yesterday, today, or what might happen tomorrow. They are thinking and feeling the music at that moment. And that’s a good thing,” said Warren. According to Warren, V.C. Groove is a 10-piece band comprised of soldiers from the U.S. Army Band stationed in Mannheim, Germany. The ensemble was put together when portions of “Fifth Corps” deployed to the Middle East in January. The “V” in the band’s name derives both from the fact that its members are in the Army’s “Fifth” or “V” Corp and that the band is currently stationed at Camp Victory in Iraq. “We were initially a jazz combo band that later expanded to a show band,” explained Warren. “However, we all got together and decided that we wanted to play for the troops,” he said. “(Our mission) now is to put soldiers’ minds on things other than the war.” “Many times we get off stage and I can see it in the soldiers. I can see that they were able to unplug. They were able to remember what it was like on a normal weekend back home, hanging with friends,” said Spc.Raiden Rogers, guitarist. “The only reason I am here is because I can have an impact on fellow soldiers. I wanted to go to a place where I could do what I loved and have an impact in someone’s life. We do that with our music,” Rogers said. The value of diversions like V.C. Groove for soldiers in theater was emphasized by 1st Lt Christina M. Mooney, concert attendee and executive officer, 325 Brigade Support Battalion, Golf Forward Support Company.	Staff Sgt. Teal Warren, group leader and bass guitarist, V Corp., 76th Army Band, plays some improvisational jazz with “VC Groove,” at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation stage at Camp Beuhring, Kuwait. U.S. Army photo “I was sitting there and thinking ‘Where am I,’” Mooney said. “This (performance) was something that you would normally do in a totally different place. For soldiers, events like these are really important.” “Soldiers will create outlets if we don’t provide them,” continued Mooney. “Soldiers will do things to cope with the environment to make life easier. Events (like VC Groove) are important for keeping morale up and keeping soldiers more relaxed.” Fifth Corp musicians include Staff Sgt. Teal Warren, Sgt. Ben Foss, Sgt. David Kuzminski, Sgt. James Richmond, Spc. Collister Williams, Spc. David Gibson, Spc. Joseph Van Dine, Spc. Edmund Kuryla and Spc. Raiden Rogers.

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