OSHKOSH, Wis. -- The rain soaked grounds didn’t dampen the spirit of country music fans from across the state at this year's Country USA music festival in Oshkosh. The five-day event which ran June 21-25 started out with four days of rain, but headliners Miranda Lambert, Trace Adkins, Dierks Bentley, Rascal Flatts and Lady Antebellum kept everyone’s spirits up.
The Volunteers from the U.S. Army Field Band started the final day of the festival off by getting the crowd energized and ready to honor more than 40 Future Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines. The Volunteers greeted the crowd by pointing out the future of the military standing in front of the stage and kept the energy level high by infusing their own brand of rock and country music.
Before the Future Service Members took the oath of enlistment administered by retired Maj. Gen. Paul Lima, the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for the State of Wisconsin, The Volunteers performed an a cappella version of the National Anthem. The harmony was followed by a round of applause by the crowd who gathered to watch the ceremony.
“The decision you made to join the Armed Services is very important to the country,” Lima said to the future service members. “You made the right decision. As you start to go in to your training, you have to take it very seriously, learn everything you have to. Once you go to your units, your battle buddies are going to depend on you. You will learn everything you will need to be successful.”
The CASA said he was proud of the decision they made to support their country. He felt honored to be part of the swear-in.
“It’s a really good feeling. To get the chance to impact those that are just beginning their journey in to the service. It’s giving back in other words. It’s satisfying,” Lima said.
For the Future Soldiers standing in front of the crowd it was equally exciting.
“To have the general talk to me just instilled pride,” said Anthony Donnermeyer a Future Soldier from Appleton.
“It was definitely a life experience. It was something I will remember the rest of my life. I felt lucky getting sworn in by a general. The recruiters said they never had that chance before,” said Donnermeyer.
Taylor Wisneski a Future Soldier from Menasha echoed Donnermeyer.
“It was a great experience. Having the general talk to us made me feel real good about everything. It made me feel welcome,” Wisneski said.
For Donnermeyer country music is in his blood having moved to Wisconsin about a year ago from Texas. Service to country runs deep as well. He said he is just proud to do his duty and serve following a family tradition.
“The way I figured it, I never wanted to do anything else,” Donnermeyer said. “None of the other jobs in the Army called to me as much as Airborne Infantry. I wanted to do something exciting.”
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