It's Showtime! U.S. Army's Spirit of America show ready for DC performances

By Guv Callahan, Pentagram Staff WriterSeptember 11, 2015

It's Showtime! US Army's Spirit of America show ready for DC performances
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Pfc. Kristofer A. Loudner, roleplaying Paul Revere, enters a scene with 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) Caisson Platoon horse Dozier during a Spirit of America rehearsal Aug. 31 at Washington's D.C. Armory. The platoon's horses have been t... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
It's Showtime! US Army's Spirit of America show ready for DC performances
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Pfc. Scott A. Holcomb with Caisson Platoon, 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), quickly exits a scene with Caisson Platoon horse Tony during a Spirit of America rehearsal Aug. 31 at Washington's D.C. Armory. The Spirit of America performances... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

WASHINGTON - The United States Army's Spirit of America performance returns to Washington, D.C., Sept. 10 to 12, taking audiences on a journey through 240 years of the nation's military history using a unique blend of pageantry and discipline.

Soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" have spent the last five weeks rehearsing for the free, two-hour show, making sure they perfect the combination of historical reenactment and traditional ceremonial elements. The spectacle will feature music, historical uniforms and even gunfire, all under the roof of the D.C. Armory.

It will also feature four of the nearly 60 horses from the Old Guard's Caisson Platoon, animals that have trained for the show just as long as the Soldiers.

The horses - Dozier, Tony, Rio and Surefire - are all making their Spirit of America debuts and will appear in four different segments of the show: the ride of Paul Revere, the War of 1812, the Civil War and the Afghan 2001 campaign.

In order for the horses to perform successfully during the show, they have to be trained and familiarized with the environment, said Caisson Platoon Spc. Martin Rosenswipe. Caisson Soldiers lead the horses around the Armory and let them smell the many new objects surrounding them.

"All of the horses are pretty new to this type of environment," he said.

Rosenswipe also said whips are used to make noise that desensitizes the horses to the sound of gunfire during the reenactment segment, which can be very loud. The horses themselves are never hit, but the crack of a whip acclimates them to the sound of muskets.

When the horses aren't performing or rehearsing during one of their segments, Caisson Soldiers lead them in ground exercises outside the Armory or let them rest, said Cpl. Jake Kausen, non-commissioned officer in charge of Caisson detail for Spirit of America. They have been trained to know that a specific area outside the main performance space is for downtime and rest.

"We want to get it as perfect as possible," Kausen said. "I love it. It's awesome to see how much goes into it."

Being able to work so closely with the horses and train them for weeks at a time is the highlight of Spirit of America preparations, according to Kausen.

Work at the stables involves a lot of maintenance and upkeep, but Spirit of America gives Soldiers the opportunity to interact with the horses and get to know them.

"We can actually be horsemen," Kausen said.

Once the show is over, all of the horses except for Surefire will go back to their regular duties on the Fort Myer portion of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, honoring the nation's fallen during funerals in Arlington National Cemetery.

Surefire, a white horse who is 24 years old (that's nearly 70 in horse years), will retire to Fort Belvoir, Kausen said.

The Spirit of America showcase will be held at the D.C. Armory Sept. 10 to 12 before moving to Fairfax, Va., for performances from Sept. 18 to 19 at Eagle Bank Arena.

For information and to order tickets, visit www.spiritofamerica.mdw.army.mil or call 1-866-239-9425.