The War and Treaty on Becoming the Latest Act to Embrace the USO's Long Standing Mission

When The War and Treaty rolled into Italy for the duo's second USO tour, a stop in Naples on Oct. 25 yielded an unexpected bonus.

The US Navy Band for the Mediterranean Region happened to be in town on an off day, and the ensemble played a short set to support Michael and Tanya Trotter on one of four dates during the trek. Michael is a veteran, having served in Iraq some 20 years ago, and the visit became more than just a typical concert.

“It ended with Michael sitting down and having a heart to heart with these sailors about his journey and his story and how music can really save you,” USO director of global entertainment production Sarah Moll recalls. “If you're having a moment, you know, 'Go in, go to the music.' [He told] how he actually did that when he was serving. I looked around, and there were tears, shaking of heads, there were smiles. I think they just felt so unheard.”

November is National Veterans and Military Families Month, and few activities provide a greater connection for troops and their relatives overseas than a USO visit. Because of his military background, Michael understands better than most how simple it is when an artist visits a base.

“No one asks questions about the house,” he says. “Nobody thinks about that. They are mission-driven. This is what makes our country's military the greatest fighting force that history has ever seen. We know how to stay focused when we enter this room to be entertained. That's exactly what we want: “Entertain us”.

The USO has been entertaining troops for over 80 years. The organization was founded in February 1941 — before the country's involvement in World War II — with the mission of bringing artists, athletes and other celebrities into the military.

Country music has been a big part of the USO's history. Country Hall of Famer Gene Autry was among the first to join the cause, reportedly singing to more than 1 million soldiers and family members in the Pacific theater after his military service ended in 1945. During the decades, Johnny Cash, Roy Acuff , would feature Barbara Mandrell, Charley Pride and Randy Travis. During this century, the roster included Darryl Worley, Chely Wright, Kellie Pickler, Trace Adkins, Montgomery Gentry and Toby Keith, who—as a 2010 Parade story noted—usually headed “right to the front row” by during annual tours abroad.

In the vast majority of cases, entertainers are protected from the most dangerous outposts, although even when visits are not in an active war zone, they can have a significant emotional impact. War and Treaty's first USO tour took them to Camp Casey in South Korea, just 13 miles from the demilitarized zone on the North Korean border. It was “literally in the danger zone,” Michael recalls.

In between music, he told the soldiers of his memories of the Iraq War – the soldiers who served by his side and those who were lost in battle. One of his former partners happened to be at the base and managed to catch up with Michael. Equally important, Michael shared some of his past in a more vivid way with Tanya, who had seen aspects of PTSD. It resurfaced during this visit.

He was able to overcome it – “I had to take a breather because my mind was back on war mode,” he says – and Tanya was better able to identify certain triggers for his condition.

“It was more intense than at home, but it's what we deal with all the time,” he says. “He's not going anywhere, the experience he had, but it's amplified, depending on the environment. So it was just a heightened response to being in it.”

Michael's visit to Camp Casey underscores the importance of the USO. Entertainers can spend a few days or a week embedded in military life. Even if he tests them, they get to leave the environment at the end of their mission, while the soldiers' tours continue until their contracts are up.

The smallest things can make the biggest difference – Moll remembers Craig Morgan leaving the two guitars he brought on a tour with service members he met. And simple conversations in the mess hall can make a huge impression.

“The nicest part,” says Moll, “is where we can sit and eat with them. I say “where are you from?” And it's like, “Oh, I'm from New Jersey” or “I'm from Virginia.” It just gives everyone a starting point. We're sitting in the middle of Italy, but there's some way we can connect.”
Moll provides an ideal connection between the USO and the entertainment industry.

During her tenure as the NFL's director of media events, she landed on the Billboard Power 100 after working with Bruno Mars, Beyoncè, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry at the Super Bowl. Her move to the USO has brought a different level of meaning to her work — “I put my head down at night and I'm like, 'I did good today,'” she says — but it's had a similar impact on the artists who make time for the program.

“There's probably not one person I've toured with who hasn't said, 'Call me anytime.' Tell me what you want me to do. Where are we going next year?” she observes. “It's definitely a legacy thing.”

That goes for The War and Treaty, who are looking to take the baton from the hundreds of entertainers that have gone before it.

“It's very important,” says Michael. “I've had some good people to follow in the past — Bob Hope, of course, but also just thinking about the contributions of Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams, Billy Crystal and Tobey Keith. I'm really excited to try and get a mantle here.”