Nine Soldiers and civilians from Contingency Operating Base Basra took a chance on stage performing for a panel of judges and an intrigued audience.
“The Basra’s got talent competition is one that showcases the talent of Soldiers and civilians here,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Robert Meeks, a Baltimore native and the organizer for the competition. “There are a lot of talented Soldiers in the military and no one gets to see it except during events like this one.”
During the first competition, each performer was judged by a panel of three MND-S Soldiers who gave their thumbs up or down. Each performer needed at least two of three votes in their favor to move on to the next round.
Staff Sgt. Terry Sorrells, a San Diego native and military transition team logistics noncommissioned officer with the 4th Department of Border Enforcement Region, received three out of three thumbs up for his a cappella performance of Heaven by Jamie Fox.
"My teammates pressured me into singing on stage,” he said jokingly. “Since I came out tonight, I won’t let them down.”
Sorrells has performed at several different talent shows in his military career, to include the Fort Bliss, Texas Idol competition in 2006.
“This type of competition is good for the Soldiers, it gives them something to do in their free time,” said Sorrells. “I only wish there was something similar earlier in my deployment.”
“I wish I could have competed in the Basra Idol competition but I was out of the area,” he added.
1st Lt. Matthew Cassidy, 1st Battalion, 150th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, and Sgt. Joe Roos, public affairs office, 34th Red Bull Infantry Division, both wrote and performed their own music.
“It was nice to get a chance to come out and play,” said Cassidy, a pilot and Conneautville, Pa. native.
This audition is only the first of three competitions, all of which will be held on Saturdays at 6 p.m.
Of the nine performers who auditioned, only eight will go on to the next round, come out to the MWR stage June 20 to see who will make it to the finals.
