FORT BENNING, Ga., (Aug. 19, 2015) -- The 2015 U.S. Army Soldier Show,"We Serve," explored what it means to serve, both in and out of uniform, during two performances Aug. 15 in Marshall Auditorium.
"It's really as simple as that," said cast member Pfc. Guy Gahungu. "We talk about PTSD. We talk about sexual assault. We talk about the main topics that the Army is struggling with."
Spc. Princess Threatt, another cast member, said the show also talks about Gold Star Families.
"That is a very touching part of the show for a lot of people, because a lot of people who come to the show are veterans or they may have lost someone in their Family due to war. It encourages Soldiers and lifts them up," said Threatt.
This year's show paid tribute to the 50th anniversary of the battle of Ia Drang Valley during the Vietnam War.
The tribute video is introduced by Mel Gibson, who starred in We Were Soldiers, a movie about the Battle of Ia Drang, and Patrick W. Stephenson, a veteran of the Battle of Ia Drang, narrated the show.
Gahungu said the show is also about Army morale.
"It's a very fun show. It's very entertaining," he said.
Students from Fort Benning Basic Training courses attended an early showing of the performance.
Pvt. Ashley Hamm said the show offered a nice change of pace from everyday training.
"It feels good to be out here because we work hard in the day and sometimes you need a little brake," Hamm said.
Pvt. Shakir Cook said it was his first experience with the Soldier Show.
"The music I've heard so far is great. It's nice to hear music," Cook said. "Four months without music was a drag."
A performance open to the public took place at 7 p.m.
The show was a 90-minute, live musical production that featured Army performers, including musicians, vocalists and dancers. Performances ranged from modern pop hits, like a version of Mark Ronson's Uptown Funk to country hits, like Lee Brice's I Drive Your Truck.
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