Sesame Street visits, supports military Families in transition

By Joan VaseyJuly 20, 2016

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1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – From left, Sesame Street characters Grover, Katie and Rosita dance together during the Sesame Street visit July 13 at Barnes Field House. The show is featured Sesame Street characters trying to cheer up military child, Katie, who is moving to a new i... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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Fort Huachuca, Arizona -- They danced. They sang. They met Fort Huachuca youth to ease their fears about heading out to a different post and making new friends. Sesame Street characters put a positive spin on moving when the USO and the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (FMWR) teamed up for two shows July 13 at Fort Huachuca's Barnes Field House.

The summer months are when most permanent-change-of-station moves occur, according to Erin Schnitger, Fort Huachuca school liaison officer. "It's the ideal time for the group to visit," she said.

When one Family member serves, the whole Family serves. Sesame Street and the USO know this all too well, and together created the character Katie who models the real-life experiences of today's military children. Designed to thank troops and their Families for their service and sacrifice, the 2016 Sesame Street/USO tour emphasizes the importance of adjusting to change, facing your fears and embracing transition as they enter a new chapter of life.

The show, "Katie's Family is Moving to a New Base," was introduced by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden in 2011.

"It's one of two shows a commander can choose," said Nicole McClendon, USO tour manager for the Sesame Street Experience for Military Families. "The other show focuses on transitioning to civilian life. The commanders know the needs of their installations and can choose whichever show that best fits their population.

"We try to go wherever we have a lot of military Families. From here, we go to Fort Bliss, Texas, and then to [various other installations]. We started out in mid-May and go through the end of October," McClendon said. The group alternates between visiting stateside installations one year and overseas bases the next. Sesame Street won't tour again in the United States until 2018. This year's travelling show team consists of 14 people.

Fort Huachuca's Garrison Commander, Col. James W. Wright, welcomed the crowd after which the audience was treated to a half hour of music, songs and dance. They also met Sesame Street characters who visited with the audience during the show.

"This year's show was amazing," said Stacy Sandlin, FMWR commercial sponsor manager and special events assistant. "We are thrilled we can bring this show to children," she added. "We love the timing, since most of our moves take place during the summer. We are lucky they could come to us."

Organizers consider the show a success, as 898 people attended the two shows at Barnes Field House.

The Sesame Street/USO Experience for Military Families made its debut in July 2008 and is the longest running entertainment tour in USO history. The tour is designed to help military Families deal with the unique challenges they face, according to USO officials.

This year marks the tour's sixth year visiting military installations in the U.S. and abroad. Since its inception, the tour has taken its message to more than 540,000 troops and military Families and performed more than 1,000 shows on 149 military installations in 33 states and 11 countries.

Additionally, the tour has logged more than 206,000 miles and distributed more than 2.6 million giveaways.

To learn more about the program, click on www.SS4MF.org.