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CAMP PATRIOT, Kuwait (January 25, 2008) - While the Soldiers of
Company D, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, Virginia
National Guard, were melting wearing their body armor in the
110-degree heat at Camp Shelby, Miss., this summer, one of the
running jokes within the headquarters section was the creation of a
unit band.
It was largely born from Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Collins who had
noticed a latent musical talent in the members of the company and
campaigned for the creation of a rock/folk/garage band.
"I thought that this would be a good stress-relief tool while
still being able to worship God," Collins said.
He made rounds among the men between training exercises,
identifying those who could play instruments or had strong vocals,
and slotted them into the nameless, imaginary organization that few
really thought might come to pass.
Looking back on those early weeks Collins said, "When the idea
first came, I wasn't too sure I was going to be able to find fellow
musicians who shared the passion. But as I talked with more and
more Soldiers who shared a love for God, I was convinced this would
be a success."
A few weeks later, the Soldiers arrived in Kuwait. Collins was
busy supporting various special projects with his job at the
Seaport of Debarkation, but also developed a relationship over
e-mail with Jeff Bader, whose spouse is the founder of Soldier's
Angels (www.soldiersangels.org).
Bader's passion for music, guitars and the equipment needed to
make it happen resonated with Collins' vision for a band.
"Jeff was very supportive from the get-go," Collins said. "He
asked me to put together a list of things I would need. I didn't
believe that we would it all. A short time later, he sent me an
e-mail saying what he was able to get, and it was even more than I
thought we needed."
Soon, thousands of dollars of musical equipment was flooding
into the small company mail tent. The unit already had the talent,
and Soldier's Angels had now supplied the means. Collins said he
figured it was about time to make things happen.
The band's first practice consisted primarily of '80s
guitar-riff tangents, a favorite drum rhythm, someone belting
vocals, and a few shouts of "how about this one?!"
The band had drawn upon the talent pool available within the
company, and while it was significant, it did not always "mesh"
together well. There was the southern rock vocalist, the worship
rhythm guitarist, the garage-band drummer, the popped-collar
bassist, and the leader of the pack - Collins relentlessly dreaming
up a better "rocked out" version of a song they could perform. It
was a cacophony of sound, and the Company D command cell located
only a tent away, cringed at the rough-around-the-edges style
filtering in from next door.
In a minor outburst of barely-contained creative angst, the band
elected to call themselves "Praise in PTs," an attempted jab toward
the command's policy of no civilian clothes - all tongue-in-cheek
of course.
With a name, some raw talent, some new gear and a practice under
the belt, Collins said was surprised to hear the Battalion Chaplain
(Capt.) Mark A. Tinsley had signed the band up for a Christmas
concert.
With only a few weeks to prepare, Collins said he worried they
might not be ready, but Tinsley seemed confident.
"You'll be fine," he remarked to Collins.
Collins focused the band, and with a lot of practice, the songs
filtering into the command tent from next door sounded a little
more put together. By mid-December, Collins headed a praise and
worship band comprised of five other Soldiers and Sailors of
Company D: 1st Lt. David MacFarlan, Chief Petty Officer Billy
Carver, Sgt. Aaron Stewart, Pfc. Joshua D. Cook and Pfc. Kurt L.
Martin.
"He took a group of individual personalities and, within a
couple of weeks, made them one," Tinsley said.
The concert was held at the Camp Patriot chapel. Tinsley
introduced "Praise in PTs" to a packed house of roughly 60 Soldiers
and Sailors from various commands that came to join in worship or
enjoy the performance in the small double-wide trailer. The set
list included only one traditional Christmas song, "The Little
Drummer Boy," but Sgt. Aaron Stewart was quick to point out that
worship was a critical aspect of the Christmas season and the crowd
joined in on a few of the contemporary worship songs.
"The experience was tremendously uplifting for all those in
attendance," said Tinsley. "'Praise in PTs' rocked our hearts as
well as the house.
"For about an hour, everyone in the building forgot that they
were away from their homes and Families. For a brief moment in
time, reality was suspended, and 'Praise in PTs' motivated us to
focus on the true meaning of Christmas."
"When they played their first song, they really hit their
groove," said Capt. Jim Tierney, the Company D commander.
"Everybody in the chapel, whether or not you are a fan of Christian
rock, enjoyed the performance. You could see their [band members']
confidence develop with each song they played. I'm extremely proud
of them."
The concert lasted 45 minutes and the support was overwhelming.
For many attendees, the concert was a little slice of Church at
home. For others, it was a reminder of the church body gathered
together to celebrate the birth of a Savior not far from where it
all began. For a few, it was simple entertainment on a chilly night
in the desert near the sea, far from home.
The band is still together and practicing.
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