Concert at The White House for U.S. troops and their families

President salutes troops with White House concert
Stars and Stripes
By Patrick Dickson
Published: November 9, 2014

WASHINGTON — The White House on Thursday evening hosted hundreds of U.S. troops and their families, treating them to a concert that featured Mary J. Blige and country music legend Willie Nelson.

President Barack Obama said that servicemembers who voluntarily go into harm’s way to keep the country safe and protect its cherished freedoms have the respect and admiration of a grateful nation.

He spoke movingly of having met Luis Avila, who was badly wounded in an explosion during his fifth tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2011.

He suffered a traumatic brain injury, and in the weeks that followed, heart attacks and a stroke. Doctors at one point recommended he be taken off life support.

Nelson opened, followed by John Fogarty, Blige, and rapper Common, who with music director Don Was accompanying on standup bass, offered a powerful poem. Latin singer Romeo Santos and Daughtry, performing via satellite from a USO concert in Yokota Air Base, Japan, also performed.

The concert will be shown on American Forces Network on Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. Central European and Japan-Korea time.

AFN is airing military-themed programming all month, including:

AFN|spectrum airs National Geographic Channel’s “American War Generals” gathers the nation’s leading generals for an unprecedented look at 50 years of military history, from the Vietnam War to America’s war on Al-Qaida; it airs Nov. 11 at 9 a.m. CET/JKT.

A concert from the National Mall which begins at 7 p.m. Veterans Day will air live on AFN Nov. 12 at 1 a.m. CET/ 9 a.m. JKT.

“The Concert for Valor” is an HBO special, and will feature Eminem, Jamie Foxx, Dave Grohl, Metallica, John Oliver, Rihanna, Bruce Springsteen and Carrie Underwood.

Every Tuesday, AFN|movie will air a mix of newer military-themed movies and classics, including “Cold Mountain” Nov. 18 at 9 a.m. CET/JKT; “Saving Private Ryan” on Nov. 18 at 11 p.m. CET/JKT; and “Home of the Brave,” Nov. 25 at 9 p.m. CET/JKT.
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