Soldiers and Airmen bring the bling at 2nd annual Car, Bike Show

By Sgt. Micah VanDykeJune 12, 2012

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1 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Soldiers and Airmen bring the bling at 2nd annual Bike, Car Show
2 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash.. " Motorcycle contestants show off their bikes and trophies at the end of the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS) Domestic vs. Import Car Show at North Fort, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., June 9. The car... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Soldiers and Airmen bring the bling at 2nd annual Bike, Car Show
3 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash., " Judges inspect the fit and finish of a stereo system entered in the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS) Domestic vs. Import Car Show at North Fort, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., June 9. The car show w... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Soldiers and Airmen bring the bling at 2nd annual Bike, Car Show
4 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash., "A wide variety of vehicles were on display at the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS) Domestic vs. Import Car Show at North Fort, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., June 9. The car show was started last yea... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Soldiers and Airmen bring the bling at 2nd annual Bike, Car Show
5 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. " Judges carefully inspect a customized Infiniti G37 at the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS) Domestic vs. Import Car Show at North Fort, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., June 9. The car show was started... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Soldiers and Airmen bring the bling at 2nd annual Car, Bike Show

Story by SGT Micah VanDyke

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. -- According to weather reports, Saturday was supposed to be a rainy day, which is normal for the Pacific Northwest despite it being almost summer-time.

Fate or luck intervened and pushed out the bad weather one day early so Soldiers and Airmen could enjoy the second annual Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS) Domestic vs. Import Car Show at North Fort, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., (JBLM) June 9.

The BOSS car show began last year to provide Soldiers and Airmen with a way to showcase their vehicles and get some exposure to the car show scene. The show, being geared for the amateur, was still worth entering for the more experienced contestant.

"It's a very simple show with basic categories and entries because we're trying to help them learn the steps, learn the ropes and just go through the element of car show etiquette," said Spc. Monique Hinton, assigned to garrison headquarters , JBLM, who is currently the BOSS special activities coordinator and former Boss president who helped establish the BOSS car show.

"The car show came about as a learning opportunity for guys to start getting involved in the car scene and being able to interact with others who share their interests," Hinton added.

This year's show was fortunate enough to have several experienced judges volunteer their time and provide the contestants with legitimate scoring in the different categories. Some of the categories included: best import, best sound, best-in-show and best-motorcycle-domestic along with many others. This gave the show versatility and appealed to the interests of many Soldiers and Airmen. The BOSS representatives work hard to make this possible.

"You have participation in something that is generally out of their genre and it's nice to see these guys come in with their cars that they've spent a lot of time, and sometimes a lot of money, in order to make it what they envisioned," said Robert Fry, a car show judge who is the manager of both JBLM Automotive Skills Development Centers. He judged last year's show and also runs the 4th of July car show at JBLM.

An easy-going vibe throughout the show helped many contestants relax as this was their first car show. They appreciated the chance to enter their vehicle in the show.

"It's a good way to meet a lot of people from different backgrounds that are into different types of cars and car shows," said Air Force Lt. Col. Jason Ginn, operations officer for the 4th Airlift Squadron, McChord Field. "You bring your car to show it off. If you have something neat and put a lot of time and money into it, this affords you an opportunity to display your hard work."

Ginn took home the "best-in-show" trophy for entering his pristine Pontiac GTO. He enjoyed the show by admiring the cars on display and was humbled by the win.

"It was exciting and unexpected, I came out here just to have a good time and relax and just kick back," Ginn said about his win. "There were a lot of cherry cars here and many that deserved recognition. Several other great awards were given out; so it was wonderful."

Sometimes just driving by an event can be an effective promotion as was the case for Spc. Jason Kobylarz, S-6, 13th Combat Support Sustainment Battalion, 593rd Sustainment Brigade, who attended the car show on a whim.

"It's good because people from the military community are putting on something here for us, it doesn't hurt to come out and take a look," said Kobylarz.

The BOSS Domestic vs. Import Car Show is making great strides toward becoming a mainstay event every summer at JBLM, and BOSS hopes it continues to expand each year.