Backstage pass: Behind the scenes of JBB entertainment

Published May 13, 2010
By Airman 1st Class Allison M. Boehm
332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq -- A servicemember's stay at Balad can be filled with the stress of being away from family, working long hours to manage an increased ops tempo and even the boredom of being constricted to the base. However, for brief periods, servicemembers are able to relax and divert their attention elsewhere - such as to a live performance of some of their favorite entertainers.

Recent shows at JBB include the Zac Brown Band, Twista, Daryl Worley and Bad Company.

"Entertainment is a vital part of enhancing the morale of the base," said Capt. Jennifer Mack 332nd Expeditionary Force Support Squadron Community Services Flight commander. "When these entertainers come to visit us, JBB personnel are distracted from the fact that they're not at home with their loved ones, even if it's just for a few hours. Our entertainers help them step away from their stresses for a while and enjoy themselves."

An entertainer's visit can be a welcome break to the deployed troop's daily duties, but without the hard work from the Airmen and other agencies behind-the-scenes it wouldn't be possible.
There are multiple organizations that send entertainment to the AOR.

"Each month, we receive a schedule from USF-I that tells us who's coming out to JBB and when," said Captain Mack. "Once we receive that information, my entertainment NCO in charge, Staff Sgt. Darlene Gaskill, gets to work on making their visit pleasant for the entertainers and entertaining for JBB."

The community services flight arranges the entertainers and their crew's lodging, transportation, security details and meals as well as putting together their entire itinerary, from personal time for the entertainers, scheduling set-up time for their crew and tours of JBB.

"Working these events is very time-consuming and requires long hours both when preparing for and executing a visit," said Captain Mack. "Depending on the event, planning can take as little as a week or as long as a month."

Although so much time is spent on planning, the success of the behind-the-scenes team comes from their flexibility.

"What separates the good from the great in this job, and our flight in general, is the ability to be flexible, think on your feet, adapt, and then make it happen regardless of what things come at you," said Sergeant Gaskill. "Things almost never go as planned despite how many hours, days or weeks we spend planning events, the important thing is we still bring good livin' to JBB."

Since the entertainers have such little time to spend at each base they visit, the community services flight does their best to put them in venues that will give as many JBB personnel as possible access to the show. That means a big location and even more players to add to the success of the event.

"We literally cannot make big shows happen without the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron; the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron; Kellog, Brown and Root; Morale, Welfare and Recreation; public affairs; the 332nd Expeditionary Communications Squadron; the Defense Contract Management Agency; and many others."

These units help set up the stage at Holt Stadium, which takes a huge amount of labor, they also help with advertising and setting up the performance areas. They assist with communications and getting the word out to the base, as well as making sure that events are as safe as possible for JBB personnel to enjoy.

"The most rewarding part in all of this is watching everyone have a good time," said Captain Mack. "Thankfully, they don't see the behind-the-scenes stressors like aircraft arriving late or luggage getting lost or all of those little things that we deal with. They see the end result: an entertainer donating their time and talents to share with us.

"After the long hours and work, it's so wonderful to see people laughing and smiling and singing along or dancing to their favorite songs and getting an autograph and picture with someone they admire" she said. "It makes all the hard work worth it."