On Dec. 12, dozens of Soldiers and their family members attended a special acoustic performance from Ray Fulcher on the Army Field.

The performance, the first of its kind on Fort Irwin since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, was put on by USO Entertainment and Fort Irwin’s Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.

Fulcher credited his interest in the U.S. Army from his grandfather who was a Soldier during World War II and helped storm the Beaches of Normandy. Prior to the concert, Fulcher met with the National Training Center’s Command Teams, toured the “box” and visited the mock city of Ujen.

“I played Madison Square Garden two weeks ago and this is just as cool if not cooler to me,” he said after seeing firsthand the mission of the National Training Center and Fort Irwin.

During the concert, Fulcher and the USO surprised two guests with a pair of tickets to the upcoming Luke Combs “What You See Is What You Get 2021 Tour” In Las Vegas featuring Ashley McBryde and himself.

“This was my first country concert,” said 2nd Lt. Ruthy Barret who won a pair of tickets. “I plan on attending more concerts especially after this experience.

While the National Training Center’s – High Desert Chapter of AUSA presented the guests with a one night stay the night of the concert.

“Playing here has made it more intimate, being able to talk, tell stories, and affect people in a positive way”, said Fulcher. “It’s such an honor to be here and when I got the opportunity to be here I immediately agreed.”
After his performance, Fulcher was able to interact and take pictures with members of the Fort Irwin community, and ate dinner with Soldiers who were on detail during the concert.

“For our entire almost-81 year history, the USO has built a legacy of bringing entertainers and celebrities to engage with our troops and their families, especially when they are far away from home,” said Bob Kurkjian”, President of the USO West Region. “I want to thank Ray and our USO team, and as always, I want to salute the Fort Irwin team for their partnership with the USO that made this all possible.”

To learn more about the USO, and their work visit: uso.org