Camp Edwards USO Shows
USO New England, with the help of some very special entertainers, brought smiles to hundreds of hardworking soldiers engaged in a specialized realistic combat experience program called XCTC, at Camp Edwards during the month of June. Over a 1000 soldiers, most of who are preparing for an upcoming year-long deployment to Afghanistan, spent the better part of a month in the specialized intense training at FOB (Forward Operating Base) Kelly, Camp Edwards before they leave for their traditional training on US soil before heading overseas. When USO learned the National Guard was involved in the immersion training in a realistic Afghani village, we saw it as a great opportunity to add a morale boosting dimension to the program by bring a “USO Show” directly into the Forward Operating Base to serve our troops.
Entertainer Frank Zarba and his Yankee Division Band Comrades put on the first show, which including patriotic songs and timeless classic hits. The second in the series was a night of hilarious comedy lead by Comedian and USO Tour entertainer, Dave Russo along with all time Boston favorite, Paul DeAngelo and a great support cast. NESN’s Dirty Water TV and Loretta LaRoche Productions supported and taped the performance.
USO volunteers were on hand as usual and had a great time chatting with soldiers and serving them popcorn and candy, which seemed to be a welcomed treat. The shows got a big “thumbs up” from soldiers, who said it was great to take a break from the rigorous schedules, relax and have a little fun. The smiles you’ll see here in the photos tell the story.
NESN’s Dirty Water TV featured clips from the USO comedy show which were aired on Saturday, July 17th, in a special segment hosted by Dave Russo featuring the Plymouth Rock Comedy Festival.
So what were our soldiers doing at FOB Kelly?? They were engaged in one of the most sophisticated and rigorous new combat preparation training programs available, XCTC. The XCTC is taking the National Guard to a new level of readiness.
As part of the ever changing overseas contingency operations, XCTC brings the most up-to-date theater- specific training to mobilizing Army National Guard units. This approach to mobilization training cuts down on the time spent at mobilization sites and increases the amount of time units can actively support combat commanders.
The EDI, or “Eddie” is one component of the program in which GPS is used to display the individual soldiers’ movements on the battlefield. The movements are then recorded for use in after action reports, which aid in critiquing every soldier’s action during the XCTC exercise. At 8 sites set up as Afghani villages, units participate in situational training exercises that simulate situations they may encounter while deployed. For example; at one village, soldiers might be trained on clearing a village and working with civilians on the battlefield, at another, they might work on military operations in urban terrain and conduct drills on removing causalities from a hostile environment.
Soldiers experience real-life like action including interaction with role playing actors, mock injuries, mock car bombs, and other simulated roadside bombs. WESTefx, a Los Angeles based special effects company worked at the Camp to set up the simulated explosive devises, and a complete “moulage” where movie industry artists stage life-like injuries. Total immersion training is what XCTC brings to the units receiving the training package. Soldiers are surrounded by the look, smell, sound, feel and taste of their projected combat tour.
