MacDill crews take Mark Chesnutt to South Korea in support of Stars for Stripes

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Anna-Marie Wyant
  • 927th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Personnel from the 927th Air Refueling Wing and the 6th Air Mobility Wing returned here Sunday afternoon after transporting country music singer Mark Chesnutt to South Korea for a Stars for Stripes tour.

The joint mission involved taking Mr. Chesnutt, his band, and Judy G. Seale, the Stars for Stripes founder and CEO, from Nashville, Tenn., April 6, then transporting them to Alaska for a short refueling layover and aircrew change before heading to South Korea.

The flight arrived at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, April 7. From there, Mr. Chesnutt and his crew were transported by helicopter to Camp Humphreys, South Korea. Mr. Chesnutt and his band performed one show there and another at Camp Casey, South Korea, before returning to Kunsan AB for their final performance of the tour.

Ms. Seale, who founded Stars for Stripes, a nonprofit organization based in Nashville, Tenn., in 2003, said the tour was a great success.

"Every tour for us is life changing," said Ms. Seale, whose most recent Stars for Stripes tour with Mr. Chesnutt was in Iraq in August 2009.

Ms. Seale decided to start Stars for Stripes after volunteering for several years with USO tours. Although she said she enjoyed her experiences with the USO, she wanted to take the initiative of creating her own tours to support the troops. She has approximately 30 years in the entertainment industry and also owns an entertainment tour business, Judy Seale International, Inc., which she founded in 2001.

Ms. Seale said one of the most rewarding things is receiving emails from service members who tell her how much the Stars for Stripes shows helped their morale during deployments.

"It's embarrassing that we're thanked so much, especially when coming into a war zone," she said. "We volunteer to go over there for one reason, and that's to say 'thank you' to the troops. That's what it's all about."

The service members stationed at Kunsan AB clearly were thankful for the show. During Mr. Chesnutt's performance Saturday evening, service members of all ranks sang and danced to the music. Col. Robert T. Givens, the 8th Fighter Wing Commander at Kunsan AB, said the performance was one of the most enthusiastic concerts he has seen at his base.

"It was nice having a little bit of home in Korea," Colonel Givens said. "There's nothing more American than country music."

Kunsan is a remote military tour, meaning Airmen stationed there are without their families for the entire year, including Colonel Givens and the rest of the wing leadership.

"This really helps increase morale," Colonel Givens said of the performance. "Wing members were so excited about Mark Chesnutt being here, and he was incredibly nice."
Mr. Chesnutt had a great time at the show in Kunsan as well.

"This has been the highlight of our trip," Mr. Chesnutt told the crowd during the show.

After the show, Mr. Chesnutt signed several autographs and took pictures with fans. He said he looks forward to doing another Stars for Stripes tour in the future.

As a nonprofit organization, Stars for Stripes depends on donations and sponsorships. Ms. Seale said Armed Forces Entertainment co-sponsored this tour. She said finding funding for tours is one of the most challenging parts of her job, along with finding artists who are willing to donate their time and talent for tours. In addition, coordinating military transportation can be difficult, so Ms. Seale said she was very thankful for getting help from the 927th ARW and 6th AMW.

"The crews were great; they always are," she said. "We feel so honored and privileged to have them."

Maj. Dean Rancourt, a KC-135 Stratotanker pilot from the 63rd Air Refueling Squadron, part of the 927th ARW, said it was a privilege for him to be part of the trip. Major Rancourt, who was the aircraft commander on the first and last two legs of the journey, knew Mr. Chesnutt before the tour. From 1996 to 1997, he was a pilot for the company that transported Mr. Chesnutt and his manager, Joe Ladd, by private jets to business meetings in Texas.

"It was pretty cool seeing him again," Major Rancourt said. "I couldn't believe he actually remembered me."

Major Rancourt, who said he has enjoyed similar performances while deployed overseas, said he knows firsthand how much this type of tour helps boost morale.

"It helps the deployment go by faster when you can have a little piece of home in your deployed location," he said. "I'm glad I could help bring some entertainment to the troops."

This is the second Stars for Stripes tour for which the 927th ARW has provided transportation. The first was in 2008 for a tour to Kosovo. Ms. Seale said she recognized two of the 927th crew members on this trip, Tech. Sgt. Max Langford, a boom operator for the 63rd ARS, and Staff Sgt. Stephen Shin, a crew chief for the 927th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, from that trip two years ago. She said she looks forward to traveling with the 927th ARW and 6th AMW on another tour in the future.