Iraq Veteran From Stop Loss to Nashville

Iraq War veteran's inspiring journey from front lines to 'Nashville'
FOX News
By Hollie McKay
Published September 22, 2014

LOS ANGELES – Melvin Kearney may be best-known for playing Hayden Panettiere’s bodyguard Bo on the hit ABC series “Nashville,” but as a two-time Iraq combat veteran, his story away from the cameras is even more moving and drama-filled.

“I grew up as an Army brat, my dad was my hero and I saw the sense of pride that came over his face every time he put on that uniform,” Kearney told FOX411. “I knew that was what I wanted to do. I thought I would just be guarding a base near my college in North Carolina, but halfway through basic training 9/11 happened.”

Kearney deployed to Iraq in 2003, and lost a number of close friends on the battlefield. His plan was to finish college and become a U.S. Marshall after returning, but as he was walking to the stage on college graduation day, he received a call from the Army: “Kearney, its Stop Loss. You’re going back to Iraq.”

Stop Loss was a policy that extended one’s military contract, which the Pentagon ended in 2011. From 2001 to 2009, an estimated 120,000 soldiers were affected by stop loss.
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