Comedians bring much needed laughter to soldiers in a combat zone

Blackanthem Military News, TIKRIT, Iraq, February 25, 2006 12:15

As the crowd boisterously laughs out loud, the man on stage demonstrates how, in a combat zone, the shower water can go from hot to ice cold in just seconds.

The laughter was brought to the Soldiers the 2nd Squadron, 9th U.S. Cavalry attached to the Rakkasans of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Division Airborne at Forward Operating Base Wilson during a show put on by Comics on Duty World Tour.

Comics on Duty are a group of comedians touring different military installations bringing humor to Soldiers during their deployments to overseas locations. The tour is designed to help break up the monotony that can come from being on a high tempo deployment.

‘The rewards for coming here are overwhelming" said comedian Mark Sweeney "To give these [soldiers] a break for a couple of hours so they don’t have to think about what’s going on around them, the dangers and all. It’s a stress relief show."

In addition to Sweeney, the group is made up of Andy Hendricks, Bob Kubota, Warren B. Hall and Jeff Capri.
 

Only a few in the group had known each other before meeting to start their two week tour, which began in Kuwait.

According to Hendrickson, he draws much of his material from everyday things around him, so this tour has brought him many new comedic insights about life on a Forward Operating Base.

The comedians each performed for about 20 minutes. Their humor dealt with the military and life on the Forward Operating Bases; subjects that those in the audience could definitely relate.

As a way of giving something back to the comedians, the 2-9th Cav. gave them a chance to fire some of the weapons they use on a daily basis.

Hendricks and Sweeney took them up on the offer, shooting a pistol, assault rifle and a light machine gun about an hour before the evening show.

The comics talked with the Soldiers and posed for photos after the show.

"The Soldiers are very appreciative; I was talking to some Soldiers about to go on patrol. It almost gets you choked up that they’re so appreciative of us coming out here to do comedy," said Sweeney "this has been a very satisfying experience."

By Sgt. 1st Class Walter van Ochten
133rd Mobil Public Affairs Detachment

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:

	Soldiers of 2nd Squadron, 9th U.S. Cavalry attached to 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Division Airborne file in for a ‘laugh" from the comedians of Comics on Duty during their show on FOB Wilson near Ad Dawr, Iraq. (U.S. Army photos by Sgt. 1st Class Walter E. van Ochten)
	Comedian Warren B. Hall performs for the troops of 2nd Squadron, 9th U.S. Cavalry during a Comics on Duty show at FOB Wilson near Ad Dawr, Iraq. (U.S. Army photos by Sgt. 1st Class Walter E. van Ochten)
	Comedian Bob Kubota performs in front of troops from 2nd Squadron, 9th U.S. Cavalry during a Comics on Duty show at FOB Wilson near Ad Dawr, Iraq. (U.S. Army photos by Sgt. 1st Class Walter E. van Ochten)
	Comedian Andy Hendricks performs in front of troops from 2nd Squadron, 9th U.S. Cavalry at the dining facility on FOB Wilson near Ad Dawr, Iraq. (U.S. Army photos by Sgt. 1st Class Walter E. van Ochten)
	Comedian Bob Kubota with Lt. Col. Lou Lartigue, Commander, 2nd Squadron, 9th U.S. Cavalry after a Comics on Duty show at FOB Wilson near Ad Dawr, Iraq. (U.S. Army photos by Sgt. 1st Class Walter E. van Ochten)