Toby Keith

As part his "America's Toughest Tour 2009" the USO and several other sponsors brought Toby Keith and his musical partner Scotty Emerick over to this part of the world where they put on 15 performances in 5 days. One of those performances happened to be a nice, acustic 6 song show here at FOB Gardez. He was supposed to start at 1030 but the show was pushed back until closer to 1330. When he got here, he told the rather small crowd of 100 - 150 that he wasn't sure for a while there that he was going to make it down to us. About 6000 feet out of Kandahar they found out they had left all their break fluid on the runway so they had to turn around and head back. They were able to get another place, flew to FOB Sharana and from there took a Chinock helicopter to Gardez.

Here's the set that he and Scotty did:
1. As Good As I Once Way
2. I'll Never Smoke Weed with Willie Again - Aparently based on a true story
3. The Balled of Balad - this is one he wrote during his first USO tour and hasn't preformed it a lot but it's basically about an Army Recruiter who gets a guy to join and right after basic he's shipped out to Iraq... it was funny
4. Runnin' Block - Homage to the Wing Man
5. I Love This Bar - After he wrote the song this is what he ended up naming his restaraunt chain and anyone can go in there, present their military ID and to quote Toby, "have a beer and a burger on me" and really, isn't that why I joined the Army? The free stuff?
6. Beer for my Horses

When the show finished we were able to get in groups of 10 or so and get group pictures with him. I also got him to sign the bill of an ACU cap I have here but never wear. What was really cool was when I showed up for the morning show that was canceled (it took a little while to get the news to us) I noticed that the flag the maneuver guys were flying behind the makeshift stage horrendiously dirty. I was thinking about using one from my supply shop for the show so there'd be a clean on flying. I wasn't the only one with this thought as our Com guy TSgt Karpinski (who is even more of a flag Nazi then I am) came and asked if I had one. I gave it to him, he put it up and after the show he took it down, Toby signed it and he gave it back to me so I now have the flag flown during the show as another keepsake. Thanks Karp!

Assuming I was able to get a picture or two to load (and that's a big assumption around here) you might notice that on the left side of this top Toby is wearing a CIB (Combat Infantry Badge). Before the show I was talking with one of the SECFOR sergeants on the team who told me he saw Toby in Iraq a few years back and during the preformance a mortar landed just 20 or 30 yards from the stage. After the all clear was given he got back up and kept playing so apparently the CIB was well earned. At the end of this preformance he also earned something else that he didn't have before, his cavalry combat spurs which is what they're putting on him in this picture. He asked if they were serious when they told him what they wanted him to do so they could put the spurs on but as you can see he played along and was proudly sporting them during the after show photo op.

Well, after trying for a few days, the photos won't post over here so I'll have to throw them on here when I get back... which won't be too much longer now!