Navy entertainment program rocks deployed sailors

Parks & Recreation, May, 2004 by Ingrid Mueller

Rock bands like Dishwalla, Blink-182 and Rushlow are used to riding in style, but thanks to the Navy Morale, Welfare & Recreation Division (MWR) these days they've been catching rides on aircraft carriers and C-2 Greyhound military airplanes.

In 1998, the Navy's primary entertainment program was a concert series called "Rock the Boat," which booked acts like Sugar Ray, Smash Mouth and Lynyrd Skynyrd to perform concerts at fleet concentrations or naval stations in the States. However, there was no component for the sailors out at sea. After 9-11 and the increased deployment, the Navy MWR Division changed the program and scheduled performances onboard 28 ships.

"The entertainment program directly impacts the morale of a sailor," says special events and entertainment program manager Cheryl Anderson. "Sailors simply don't expect to have members of a rock band bump into them in the passageway of a carrier at sea."

Because of budget constraints, Navy MWR can only schedule smaller groups who can travel lightly. They are transported by the Naval Air Logistics Office (NALO) which handles getting the bands from land out to remote locations at sea. Current projects include a second tour with Dishwalla, who hopes to perform in early June.

"You know at the end of the day, all I can remember is the look on the sailors' faces when the band is performing," says Anderson. "When the band appreciates what our military stands for--the honor, the courage, the commitment--then they are a good fit for us."--reporting by Ingrid Mueller, Navy MWR Communications Group