SAN ANTONIO (Dec. 11, 2014) -- Retired Army staff sergeant Ron Henry is determined to keep giving back to the U.S. military by singing his "Soldier for Life" stories.
Henry reunited with Army Entertainment in early December as one of six all-stars in the 2014 Operation Rising Star Presented by PenFed military singing contest at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
Six years removed from the military as a professional recording artist who has toured the country as the founding member of 4TROOPS, Henry says he can't get enough of Army Entertainment and what it does for soldiers and their families.
"Six years later, I'm still going strong with this thing because I can identify," said Henry, 46, a native of Baxley, Georgia, who lives in Williamsburg, Virginia. "I've been to Iraq; I know what it's like. I know what it's like to be away from my family. I know what it's like to be away from my friends. I know what it's like to lose a friend."
Henry, the inaugural Operation Rising Star runner-up in 2005, is a strong supporter of the U.S. Army Soldier Show and Operation Rising Star, two of the hundreds of programs the U.S. Army Installation Management Command Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation division provides to Soldiers and their families.
"Army Entertainment is doing so much for, not just the Army, but for the military, the Armed Forces itself," Henry said. "Just to come in and to tell their stories, these Soldiers have to make themselves transparent so they can show the audience 'this is who I am. This is what I've been through -- my story of Iraq through my song, my story from leaving my family.'"
As an Operation Rising Star All-Star during the 10th anniversary celebration of the Army Entertainment program, Henry mentored and performed alongside Staff Sgt. Michael Joseph, 33, a 399th Army Band drummer stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
"Him mentoring me just means the world to me," Joseph said. "He's such a great guy. In the week that I've known him, I've grown so much as a performer. I really appreciate him."
Having competed in the local 2013 Operation Rising Star competition at Joint Base Langley-Fort Eustis, Virginia, Joseph said fellow Soldiers at Fort Leonard Wood convinced him to compete again.
"I've only been singing for a couple years in front of people, so I'm still in the uncomfortable stage," Joseph said. "But I'm super proud to represent my unit."
Joseph thanked Henry for making him feel more at ease on the stage.
"He's one of the best performers I've ever seen, and he's been teaching me how to be a performer -- how to connect with the crowd, to have fun, and be myself up on stage," Joseph said. "It just shows how great of a guy he is to come back and help us out, kind of take me under his wing. I can't wait to take some of the concepts that he's taught me back to the band and show my fellow Soldiers how to perform."
Part of the "Soldier for Life" mission is to enable Army, governmental and community efforts to facilitate successful reintegration of Soldiers, veterans and their families in order to keep them Army strong and instill their values, ethos and leadership within communities. Henry is a classic example of a "Soldier for Life," and now he has passed the microphone, so to speak, along to Joseph.
"Army Entertainment is the reason why I am where I am today," Henry said. "If anyone would have ever told me that my professional music career would come to this level because of Army Entertainment, I would never have believed it. But Army Entertainment is the reason I am where I am today.
"This can never go away," Henry concluded. "If it does, it would be a sad moment in Army history. We have to keep this thing going because it brings so much joy and so much healing, not only our Soldiers, but to the families and the communities. We cannot let this go."
Related Links:
2014 Operation Rising Star Presented by PenFed Monday night photos
2014 Operation Rising Star Presented by PenFed Saturday night photos
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