Lt. Chelsea Brunoehler Was One Of Twelve Service Members Selected To Participate In The ACM ‘All-Star Salute To The Troops’ Show Due To Air May 20 On CBS

An instructor pilot from Training Air Wing Five (TRAWING-5) at Naval Air Station Whiting Field recently received the rare opportunity to fly to Las Vegas, perform in front of 14,000 people, rub elbows with country music stars and more thanks to the Academy of Country Music (ACM).

"It was an incredible time," she said about her experience. "They took great care of us. I felt like a celebrity too. Everything was amazing, they treated us like royalty." The "All-Star Salute to the Troops" special took place over April 4-7.

Brunoehler and two other service members were selected to sing the national anthem, which opened the show with a number sung by George Strait and Merle Haggard. Other military performers actually sang duets with various artists such as Keith Urban, Hunter Hayes, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts and more. All the military members were on stage for the finale - Toby Keith's "American Soldier."

She began singing very young in elementary school and continued through high school singing. While attending the Naval Academy in Annapolis she sang in the Women's Glee Club, touring Italy and England with the unit. She even met her husband, Matt, while performing. A former Marine artillery officer, Matt was a guitar player and songwriter even then.

Beginning in late January, the Navy began soliciting nominations from Sailors who wished to perform in the program. Potential participants had to submit a link to a video of them performing a country song, a biography, and a recommendation letter from their chain of command. Out of more than 40 applications, Brunoehler was one of two Navy candidates selected for participation.

"The experience makes us want to support country music even more. Their support for the military is so important," Brunoehler emphasized. "I was just grateful to be there."  She continued, "It felt like I had my 15 minutes of fame, and I'll be happy with that; I just enjoyed being able to represent the Navy."

FMI: www.navy.mil/local/naswf