Best of America: Singing Soldiers

These soldiers are bridging the gap between armed forces and America through song.

What do soldiers do after they leave the service? If they can sing, maybe they form a group, make a CD, and perform on U.S. Army bases to inspire other soldiers. At least that’s what the members of 4TROOPS did.

Retired Staff Sgt. Ron Henry, 41, former Capt. Meredith Melcher, 29, and former Sgts. Daniel Jens, 36, and David Clemo, 31—all of whom served multiple tours in Iraq or Afghanistan—sing a mix of pop and country, including “Here We’ve Been,” with its opening lines “Raised my hand/Raised my weapon/Now I raise my voice .” The vocalists, whose album was released by Sony Masterworks in April, are touring military bases around the country and will donate a portion of proceeds from the sale of their CD to veterans’ charities. “We hope our music will help bridge the gap between the armed forces and the rest of America,” Henry says.

www.4TROOPSmusic.com