Soldier Show takes "We Serve" tour to San Antonio's Tobin Center

By Tim Hipps, U.S. Army Installation Management CommandOctober 14, 2015

Soldier Show delivers
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The cast of the 2015 U.S. Army Soldier Show perform the closing number of their ''We Serve'' production Oct. 12 at the Tobin Center For the Performing Arts in downtown San Antonio. The capacity crowd of 1,730 included 560 Advanced Individual Training... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Soldier Show on the River Walk
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The cast and crew of the 2015 U.S. Army Soldier Show took their ''We Serve'' production inside the state-of-the-art Tobin Center For The Performing Arts alongside the River Walk in downtown San Antonio, where the show was simulcast on a large video s... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Soldier Show takes
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – As a barge floats past the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts on the River Walk in San Antonio, the 2015 U.S. Army Soldier Show performs ''We Serve'' inside the state-of-the-art facility, which simulcasts the show on the patio on Columbus Day. U.S.... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Spc. Tierra Kirts on SA Live
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. Tierra Kirts, a native of Pineville, La., who is stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, shares the 2015 U.S. Army Soldier Show's ''We Serve'' story with Jeff Roper, a talk show host for KSAT Ch. 12's SA Live, prior to the Soldier Show performance Oct. 1... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

SAN ANTONIO (Oct. 13, 2015) -- The U.S. Army Soldier Show delighted members of the San Antonio community and hundreds of fellow Soldiers on Columbus Day at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.

The Soldier-performers delivered their 90-minute song and dance production, titled "We Serve," to a capacity crowd of 1,730 in the heart of downtown San Antonio. Outside the state-of-the-art facility, more spectators, including passersby on the San Antonio River Walk, watched the show on a large video screen.

"I love the fact that they've done this," said Air Force Brig. Gen. Bob Labrutta, commander of the 502nd Joint Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio. "This is a wonderful venue. We're supporting the city of San Antonio, Military City USA."

Army Entertainment, part of the U.S. Army Installation Management Command headquartered on Fort Sam Houston in downtown San Antonio, wanted to present the Soldier Show to the American public in its hometown.

The goal was to help those in the community surrounding the installation understand what it means to serve.

"Not only is it entertaining, but the United States Army's got it right," Labrutta said. "The strategic messaging that goes on in the show -- from the Chief of Staff of the Army all the way down, it just resonates."

The show celebrates a "Soldier for Life" and commemorates the 50th anniversary of a Vietnam War battle, so it has expected moments of sadness, but the show also demonstrates Soldiers' resilience and readiness. It addresses important Army programs, such as gold star families, sexual harassment and assault response and prevention.

The show also touches on Soldiers' resilience, readiness and recovery -- focusing on what the Army does to help Soldiers transition from being wounded and returning to duty, joining the civilian workforce, or transitioning out of the Army into mainstream America.

"People are being entertained, but at the same time, they're understanding what Soldier for Life is all about," Labrutta said. "They're understanding what resiliency is all about. They understand what trying to eliminate suicide, sexual harassment and sexual assault in the Army is all about."

Labrutta joked with Army Maj. Gen. Lawarren Patterson, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army Installation Management Command, that he "almost joined the Army tonight" as he left the theater.

"It was just that good," Labrutta said. "It was fantastic."

Gold star mother Candy Martin and her husband, Ed, said the Soldier Show never ceases to amaze them.

"I retired from the Army two years ago, so I'm very familiar with the Soldier Show," said Candy, who served 38 years. "I think every year it gets better and better and better and better."

She was pleased to see the show performed outside the installation, where more civilians would have easier access.

"People don't understand that the Army is a way of life," she said.

The Martins were impressed to see much of the story of Army life reenacted on stage.

"They're telling the story of the Army, of what we do and what we're about, in a way that the people who don't wear the uniform really don't get a chance to see," said Candy.

According to her, taking the Soldier Show to a civilian venue in the heart of The Alamo City was "huge, huge, huge."

Ed, who retired as a sergeant major after 29 years in the Army, agreed with Candy's assessment.

"I think they need to do more of this," he said. "It's just an amazing show, and I don't think the civilian populous knows that it's going on.

"More importantly, it's a story that everybody needs to see," Ed explained. "We understand what it means to be a Soldier because we've lived it. The people outside our gates need to understand it, too."

The Tobin Center performance concluded the domestic portion of the "We Serve" tour. The cast and crew will depart San Antonio this weekend and perform 11 more shows in Italy, Germany, Alaska, South Korea and Hawaii -- primarily on military installations for Soldier audiences.