DEC 9, 2011

Shes off to the finals!

Area Is Heideman heads to Rising Star song face-off
dinner table when I was three years old because I sang too much. When I was in 2nd grade, I had to sing Oh, Mr. Sun for a class performance. It was the only person in the class who could do it on key, so my teacher gave me a grape soda. That was the day I knew I wanted to be a singer. After graduating from high school, she attended Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, to study vocal performance and opera. She then joined the Army, hoping to become a vocalist, but that military occupational specialty was not yet available. Several months later I learned that they finally opened [the MOS], but by then it was too late, she said. Heideman continued her path as a Sentinel radar systems operator, hoping that an opportunity would present itself one day to change her MOS. After five months of Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sill, Okla., she was reassigned to Camp Casey with Company E, 6th Battalion, 52nd Air and Missile Defense Regiment. I love being a Soldier and being in the Army, she said. I was even a Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers representative for my unit for a long time. Heideman, now a private first class, has been in the Army for a year and half. Prior to competing in Operation Rising State, she competed in the Warrior Country Talent Search with a friend and placed third. Afterwards, she decided to sign up for Operation Rising Star. I did the first round because I thought it would be fun, she said. I had so many people there supporting me. My entire unit filled the Gateway Club and that kept me going. I placed third during the second round and Ill admit, she said, I was hesitant on continuing but I knew I had to do it for the people supporting me. After performing during the final round at the Labor Day Festival, I prepared myself to take the third-place check. The other two competitors were absolutely amazing singers. When the third place check passed, I thought, Okay, I can deal with second, but then the secondplace check passed, I couldnt believe it. Heideman received a $500 check as well as a chance to compete for a spot in the Operation Rising Star grand finale. Her unit also won the $300 Spirit Award for being the most supportive unit. For her performance, Heideman chose Broken by Lindsey Haunt, Never Alone by Lady Antebellum and Are You Happy Now? by Michelle Branch. I dont want to sing popular songs that everybody knows, she said. It puts me at a disadvantage because people

USAG RED CLOUD

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By Kimberly Covey USAG Red Cloud DFMWR Marketing

CAMP CASEY It all started with a can of grape soda and a love for singing. Rachel Heidemans recent boost to celebrity status in Area I came when she placed first in the Operation Rising Star contest held here during the Labor Day Festival Sept. 2. Operation Rising Star is a militarywide singing contest modeled after the popular TV show American Idol, where contestants sing in front of an audience. Both judges and the audience determine whether or not the contestant advances to the next round. Following her winning effort here, a video of Heidemans performance was forwarded to a panel of judges at the Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Center Headquarters at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where she competed against other winners. On Oct. 13 she received a call from the Area I Entertainment and Special Events Division stating that she was chosen to complete in the finals, which will be held at Fort Sam Houston beginning Dec. 11. Twelve contestants from throughout the Army are slotted to compete for top honors and an all expenses paid, three-day professional recording studio trip to Hollywood, California. After I got off the phone with the Entertainment and Special Events coordinator, I just screamed, Heideman said. I could hardly breathe and my friends told me that I needed to calm down or I was going to have a heart attack. Heideman hails from Corning, Kansas, a town of about 100 people. She says shes been singing ever since she was a toddler, grasping every opportunity she could to perform for others. Ive been singing for as long as I can remember, she said. My aunt had to frequently quiet me down at the

dont recognize my tunes, but its what I like. I like antifolk artists such as Ingrid Michaelson, Regine Spektor and Colbie Callait, but I especially love female vocalists. Theyre my idols. Like a majority of people, Heideman struggles with stage fright, but she continues to overcome it through sheer determination. I have terrible stage fright, she admitted. I have to kick myself to get on stage, but my motto is This too shall pass. I tell myself that I have to get over it. Do it and be done. Heideman became a celebrity in Area I almost overnight, but she still remains humbled by the entire experience. After participating in Operation Rising Star I became a huge supporter of unit participation, she said. I would not be where I am if it wasnt for my units support. Theyre the reason why I won. I have to give the credit to somebody else because Im just doing what I love. Because of her talent, Heideman is to be assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division band as a vocalist. The fact that I can sing and still stay in the Army is an absolute dream come true, she said. The Operation Rising Star grand finale will begin on Dec. 11. Voters will be able to cast votes online at www. oprisingstar.com. Fifty percent of votes tallied will be from online voters. x

Rising Star to be televised

The Pentagon Channel will televise Operation Rising Star, which will see 12 competitors from around the globe vie to emerge the winner in the Armys premier vocal competition. Final air dates are: Dec. 11, 13, 15, and 17. All shows will air at 8 p.m. in the Korea Standard, Eastern Standard, and Central European time zones.

Pfc. Rachel Heideman, right, took first place and a $500 prize in the Operation Rising Star singing competition at Camp Casey Sept. 2. Shell vie for top honors next week in the Armys premier vocal competition. At left is Lt. Col. Steven Finley, commander of U.S. Army Garrison Casey. U.S. Army photos by Pfc. Lee Jae Gwang

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USAG RED CLOUD

THE MORNING CALM

News & Notes

Camp Casey Theater The Camp Casey theater will reopen at 6:30 p.m., Dec. 9 with the showing of Hugo starring Ben Kingsley and Chloe Moretz. It will also be shown at 8:30 p.m. The theater has been closed since the end of July when it was flooded by monsoon rain that caused more than $18 million of damage on Camp Casey. Exchange Hours Several Area I Exchange facilities will close at 7 p.m., Dec. 13 for employees to attend its Christmas party. The affected facilities that will close early are the Camp Stanley Food Court, Camp Casey Exchange, Camp Casey Shopette, Camp Hovey Exchange and the Camp Red Cloud Exchange. For more information, call 732-6263. Christmas Concert The 2nd Infantry Division Band will perform a holiday concert at 7 p.m., Dec. 14 at the Uijeongbu Arts Center. Also scheduled to perform are the Russian Birobidzhan Art Troupe and the Songnam Kindergarten Childrens Choir. For more information, call 732-6695. Midnight Madness The Camp Casey Exchange will be closed 7 - 10 p.m., Dec. 15 and then reopen from 10 p.m. - midnight for its Midnight Madness sale. For more information, call 7304860/4865. Basketball, Cheerleading Registration Child, Youth and School Services has extended its basketball and cheerleading registration until Dec. 16. Basketball is open to ages 3-18 and cheerleading is open to ages 5-18. Registration with CYSS and an up-to-date physical are required to participate. Volunteer coaches are also needed. For more information, call 732-8902 or 730-3628/3114. Babysitter Training Child, Youth and School Services is offering babysitter training from 8 a.m. 5 p.m., Dec. 17 and Dec. 19 at the Camp Casey Youth Center, bldg. 2475. Participants must be at least 13 years old and registered with CYSS. They must also attend both sessions to receive a certificate. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation/ first aid training is included. For more information, call 7308524/6521. New Karaoke Mitchells Club now features karaoke with American, Korean and Philippine songs, Wednesdays from 7 11 p.m. Also at Mitchells is Country Music Nite, Saturdays from 7 p.m. 2 a.m. Free line dance lessons are available. For more information, call 732-8189.

Troops fill in at installation gates

At the Camp Red Cloud main gate Dec. 5, U.S. soldiers check identification of a motorist seeking entry to the post. Gate security is usually performed by a contract guard force. But as part of a changeover from one contract guard force to another, U.S. troops are manning gates on an interim basis as a routine force protection measure until the new contract guard force is fully in place. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Lee Jae-gwang

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Strenuous log drills are just one of the many rigors of the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course at Camp Mackall, N.C. Special Forces recruiters say Soldiers who want to become members of the elite Green Berets should apply and not hold back. U.S. Army photo courtesy of U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.

Can you qualify for the Green Berets?

By Franklin Fisher franklin.s.fisher2.civ@mail.mil

Dont hold back but apply, Special Forces recruiter tells troops during visit to Area I
grades E-3 through E-7, have a GT score of 107 or above, score a minimum of 240 on the APFT, and volunteer for Airborne School, Martin said. They must also pass a thorough Special Forces medical examination, be a United States citizen and be eligible for a secret clearance. And they cannot have received any punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for at least two years before the time they apply, and cannot have any administrative flags or bars on their record. Being overweight or having been declared ineligible for reenlistment are examples of such possible barriers, Martin said. For officers, the selection process is different but the requirements are otherwise essentially the same he said. Applicants who pass the first physical and administrative hurdles are then sent to a grueling 19-day course called SFAS, for Special Forces Assessment and Selection. Its run by the Armys John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Camp Mackall, N.C.

CAMP RED CLOUD Soldiers in Korea who think they might have what it takes to get into the Green Berets shouldnt hold back because of its tough entrance requirements and should instead give it their best shot, a Special Forces recruiter told Area I Soldiers last week. The recruiter, Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Martin, is part of a three-member recruiting team from Hawaii visiting Army installations Korea-wide Nov. 28 Dec. 9. Hes with the Special Forces Operations Recruiting Battalion at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. For Area I Soldiers, the team held briefings at the Camp Casey education center Nov. 30 Dec. 2. The Armys Special Forces known worldwide as the Green Berets specialize in unconventional warfare and are part of the nations elite special operations community. The main Special Forces missions are unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, direct action, special reconnaissance, counterrorism, counterproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and support to information operations. Its a program thats available to any and every male Soldier in the Army as long as they meet the qualifications, said Martin. But the qualifications are notoriously tough to meet. Enlisted applicants must be in pay

Long, grueling hikes while carrying ammunition boxes are one of the many challenges that await Soldiers accepted to the Special Forces Assessment and Selection course at Camp Mackall, N.C. Soldiers must pass the course before they can be considered for further training along the path to admission to the Special Forces. U.S. Army photo by Gillian M. Albro

It evaluates an applicant through a whole man approach that uses psychological testing, physical training that includes log and rifle PT, runs and ruck marches, as well as team events and exercises in land navigation. SFAS cadre look at an applicant for intelligence, physical fitness, motivation, accountability, maturity, stability, trustworthiness, judgment, decisiveness, teamwork, influence, communication and responsibility. At the end, a board selects those Soldiers most qualified for the next big step, more than a year of advanced training in the Special Forces Qualification Course, or SFQC. Martin said Soldiers shouldnt count themselves out before they even try. The biggest thing I would tell guys, if anythings questionable: Dont disqualify yourself. Let the powers that be do their job and let nature take its course, Martin said. The biggest thing about a Soldier going to SFAS is that nobody that goes to the course is already a Green Beret. They are there to get assessed and be identified if they have the potential and the aptitude to become a Green Beret. So theyre not looking for the biggest or the fastest or the strongest, said Martin. Theyre trying to identify those guys that have the potential. Soldiers can contact a Special Forces recruiter online at http://www.bragg. army.mil/sorb/SF.htm or can contact his team at sfhawaii@usarec.army.mil. x