“Thund-Her-Struck” goes to war

“Thund-Her-Struck” Strikes Camp Eagle

By Spc. Andy Miller
122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

CAMP WAR EAGLE, Baghdad, Iraq – First Team Soldiers at this eastern Baghdad base camp took a break July 2 when entertainers from the United States stopped by to perform as part of an Independence Day holiday Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) tour. Soldiers crowd around the stage as members from the all-girl band Thund-Her-Struck belt out AC/DC cover tunes at Camp War Eagle in Eastern Baghdad July 2. The show was part of a Morale, Welfare and Recreation tour to celebrate the Independence holiday in Iraq. Camp War Eagle is home to Task Force 1-12 Cav. and Task Force Lancer from the 1st Cavalry Division. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Andy Miller, 122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

Under a bright summer sun, hundreds of 1st Brigade Soldiers crowded around the stage they had built in front of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment (Task Force Lancer) headquarters to listen to the jokes of comedian Dan Smith and the rock and roll sounds of Thund-Her-Struck, an all girl AC/DC tribute band from Los Angeles.

The entertainers said it was an honor for them to entertain the troops at War Eagle, which is located in one of the most dangerous areas of Baghdad. Smith, who has family in the military, said that he always requests to do shows in areas like this one when on an MWR tour.

“Wherever it’s hot, wherever it’s dangerous, that’s where I request to go,” he said. “I know those are the guys that need it most.”

When the girls of Thund-Her-Struck heard they were going to Camp War Eagle, their manager, Dwayne Ulloa, told them to be prepared for anything and everything. The band wasn’t deterred by the idea of going into a combat zone, though. “[I said] ‘I can tell you that I know the military doesn’t mess around when it comes to our safety, and they are going to do their utmost to provide us as much safety and security as they can. But we’re going into the belly of the beast, so to speak’,” Ulloa, the event promoter, told the band. “And [the band members] put their flak jackets and their Kevlar helmets on, and hopped in the copter, and said ‘Let’s go rock their world’.”Thund-Her-Struck singer, Dyna Shirasaki, hands a T-Shirt to 1st Sgt. Erik Smith of the 1st Battalion, 82 Field Artillery Regiment, at a concert held at Camp War Eagle in Eastern Baghdad July 2. The event, which included an appearance by comedian Dan Smith and the all-girl AC/DC tribute band, Thund-Her-Struck, was held as part of Morale, Welfare and Recreation tour to celebrate the Independence Day holiday in Iraq. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Andy Miller, 122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

At the show, Soldiers were set to ‘rock and roll’ as they crowded around the front of the stage, pumping their fists in the air, some of them singing along. Between songs, band members would pass out T-Shirts and compact discs, and joke with Soldiers in the crowd. All the while, Camp Eagle Soldiers were getting a break from the rigors of life in a combat zone. “I think it was real good for everybody,” said Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Gordon, a platoon sergeant with Company C, 2-5 Cav. “It was a nice break for everybody. We got to just chill out for a little bit and kind of forget about everything.”

After playing a full set of classic AC/DC tunes, Task Force Lancer commander, Lt. Col. Gary Volesky went on stage to present the comedian and band members with certificates of appreciation. Then, following an encore performance, the band members stayed well into the night to sign autographs for Soldiers who lined up for a chance to meet with them. Sgt. Michael Philips, a gunner with the Task Force Lancer’s Outlaws platoon, asked the members of Thund-Her-Struck to add their signatures to the guitar he’d brought from home. “I’ve always been a music buff. Everything is guitar orientated. I know a lot about guitars, different people, what they play, what their strings are, what their amps are and their settings,” Philips said. “I thought it was kind of neat...I can say I have all their signatures on my guitar. That guitar’s value could go up.”

Stephanie Leigh, the Thund-Her-Struck drummer, said the show was the most interesting she’s ever played. Her band is accustomed to playing at Los Angeles night clubs and indoor entertainment venues. She said coming to Camp Eagle was a way for the band to show respect to Soldiers serving in Iraq. “We’ve done several different tours, like to the Balkans and stuff, but when you’re asked to come to Iraq to play for the troops, it’s like oh, you have to think about that for a second,” Leigh said. “But it’s an honor to come out. [These Soldiers] spend so much time out here, doing what [they] do for our country, that for us to come out and entertain and do such a small stint, it’s an honor. [These Soldiers] totally rock!”