“When the troops kept thanking me, I was like, ‘Stop! I am here to thank you,’ ” says Filter frontman Richard Patrick. “I really felt like I was doing a service.”

But when it comes to getting the soldiers’ minds off combat for a little while, Operation MySpace is hardly the norm. Gone are the days of the star-studded USO (United Service Organizations) tours, where the likes of Bob Hope and Marilyn Monroe would perform at U.S. military bases worldwide—since Vietnam, the USO has diverted more resources to services such as mental health care for active soldiers. And booking acts is complicated by the fact that AFE and the USO are at the mercy of the Department of Defense. “DOD has to officially accept the offer, because entertainment is not the primary mission of the military,” says the USO’s Rachel Tischler. “We need the military to move us around and provide security and all that good stuff.”

Money, of course, is just as big a factor. The backing of a major company helped Operation MySpace book big-ticket talent, but this is the exception to the rule. For its part, AFE prefers to spend its congressionally appropriated $⁶.⁵ million annual budget––which has to cover the bands’ travel (usually on commercial flights into the Middle East, then via military transport once they’ve arrived), rented gear, and a small per diem––on lesser-known acts, thereby increasing the frequency of shows. The USO pays only a $⁵⁰ to $¹⁵⁰ per diem––yes, even for Jessica Simpson––and also covers only the production costs, travel expenses, and hotel stays for its performers.

But can a band make a living from military touring? Unheralded Atlanta-based alt rockers Five Star Iris met with reps from Navy Entertainment and AFE at the RedGorilla music festival

Clockwise from left: Jessica Simpson at Operation MySpace in Kuwait this past March; ex-Filter bassist Sgt. Frank Cavanaugh jamming with Richard Patrick in Kuwait; Scarlett Johansson (shirted) blesses our boys in Kuwait in January

The military prefers to spend its

budget on lesser-known acts.

in Austin, Texas, in ²⁰⁰⁷ instead of label honchos and booking agents. The resulting tour took them to bases throughout Southwest Asia on military planes and helicopters, and they now earn what they call a “nice lump sum” on this circuit. Although it does present challenges that your average van tour through college towns doesn’t.

“All of a sudden, you’re flying over a town and cannot help but think, ‘There’s got to be at least one person that would take us out if they could,’ ” says Five Star Iris frontman Alan Schaefer, recalling a night flight over the Iraqi desert. “Out of nowhere, two soldiers in the helicopter, at the same time, lock the weapons. And I’m thinking, ‘Holy shit!’ ” For these guys, though, it’s worth the risk. “What’s

achievable is us being a sustainable business,” says Schaefer, whose band is headed to Japan later this year on another military jaunt. “We’ve seen big spikes in our i Tunes downloads, and I really think a big part of that has to do with the military. On these tours, we don’t [and aren’t allowed to] sell CDs, so the only way for people to get them is to buy them online.”

The organizations involved would be glad to offer more recognizable talent to American troops abroad, but they have to make do with what’s available. At the same time, as Navy Entertainment’s Karen Fritz says, “If [the troops] don’t recognize the music, they might not come see the show.” For AFE and USO, word of mouth among bands can provide

a big boost. “There are groups that go out and they come back and tell their famous friends,” says the USO’s Tischler. “We’d love more partnering with industry, more people knowing who we are,” says Col. Ed Shock of AFE.

With the war’s unpopularity at home, some bands might worry about adverse reactions from their fans. For Filter, that wasn’t the case. “[The reaction] was ⁹⁹. ⁹ percent positive,” says Marc Pollack, the band’s manager. “You have a couple of people who voice their opinion—like, ‘Why would you do this for Bush?’—not understanding the real reasons why we did this.”

“I would absolutely recommend it to other bands,” says Richard Patrick. “Someone is out there, literally doing the hard work, and it reminds you, you’re American, buddy, and you get to be in a fucking rock band. How sweet is your life?”

For footage from Peter Gaston’s trip to Kuwait, go to spin.com/kuwait

Base Players A BRIEF HISTORY OF MILITARY MORALE BOOSTING

PREVIOUS PAGE: AARON FARLE Y THIS PAGE, CLOCK WISE FROM LEF T: COUR TES Y DVIDS ( 2); DAVE GATLE Y COUR TESY USO

1775
The first musical feting
of American troops
is believed to be a
fife-and-drum corps
that helps the Army
celebrate the capture
of Fort Ticonderoga.
A young Colin Meloy
is impressed.

1943
With Bing Crosby
nowhere to be found,
BOB HOPE makes the
first of his 60-odd USO
trips to combat zones,
visiting Northern Africa
and Italy.

1958

Noted firearm
afficionado ELVIS
PRESLEY opts to
entertain the troops
from within, by joining
the Army and reporting
for duty in Texas.

1986
STEPHEN STILLS,
Doobie Brother TOM
JOHNSTON, and four
members of KANSAS
tour bases around the
world as the unlikely-
to-be-drafted-into-
active-service “USO First
Airborne Rock’n’Roll
Division.”

1990
During the first Gulf
War, STEVE MARTIN
is discouraged from
telling jokes due to
strict social laws in host
countries like Saudi
Arabia. He hasn’t told
one since.

1996

At the behest of Hillary
Clinton, SHERYL CROW
tours Bosnia and says,
“I don’t ever want
to play for a regular
audience again, only
military folks starving
for music.” Regular
audiences are more or
less okay with this.

2007
Real-life American
heroes KID ROCK and
LANCE ARMSTRONG
attempt to rally the
troops over ROBIN
WILLIAMS’ histrionic
ad-libbing during a tour
of Iraq. P.G.