FORT CARSON, Colo. -- Twelve finalists battled during the Operation Rising Star competition at the Special Events Center, Saturday, with Sgt. Nadine Pope, 3rd Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, taking the top slot.
"It's a shock," said Pope. "It feels good."
Pope sang "One Night Only," from the Broadway musical "Dreamgirls," to clinch the victory. Jessica Garrett-Anguiano and Chelsea Ramsland, both spouses, took second and third.
"Everyone did an excellent job," said Ann Edinger, chief, Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation. "We had a very talented pool. The judges had a difficult time deciding."
The judges' votes weren't the only factors in granting first, second and third place to the contestants. Audience votes mattered, making up 50 percent of the final tally.
More than 250 attendees cheered on the vocalists and members of 3rd STB earned the Spirit Award, according to Edinger.
The competition began Oct. 23, when 27 vocalists auditioned at the Freedom Performing Arts Center.
As the first-place finisher, Pope received $500 and will advance to the next round of competition.
Winners from each installation will be paired against each other through the first round of competition where judges vote via video submission. Judges will select the top 12 performers in mid-November to advance to the semi-final round.
The 12 finalists will then travel to San Antonio for the semi- and final rounds of the competition, which will air on the Pentagon Channel in early December and viewers are encouraged to vote for their favorite singer.
Audience members will be able to cast their vote by logging onto www.OpRisingStar.com. The exact times of voting windows will be published on the website prior to air times.
The winner of Operation Rising Star receives the opportunity to spend time in a professional recording studio to create a demo CD with three songs as well as $1,000.
Pope said she's excited to compete. She's been singing since she was 8 years old and often finds herself singing in her room after she finishes work. She recently finished a tour with the U.S. Army Soldier Show, performing with other Soldiers at installations across the world.
To prepare for the Armywide competition, she said she is trying to find a song that "best fits her voice."
"Singing is a stress reliever," she said. "It's a way for me to release tension."
Pope listed Whitney Houston, Karen Clark Sheard and Jill Scott among her favorite artists.
Although Pope says she is "just a Soldier," she wants people to recognize the depth of talent many Soldiers have.
"I want people to see the other side," she said.
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