Participants eager to sing, become 'Icon' Published Aug. 7, 2008 By Daniel Cosgrove 305th Services Squadron community center director McGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. -- They may not be performing in front of American Idol Judge Simon Cowell, but that doesn't mean competitors in the first-ever "Air Mobility Command Icon" won't be nervous. After all, at stake will be $1,000 in cash prizes and a chance to compete in the AMC Icon final at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Singing contestants from McGuire, Fort Dix and Lakehurst will lay their vocal cords on the line Aug. 14 in The Club parking lot here. "There'll be a lot of adrenaline," said Senior Airman Jessica Sherman, 305th Operations Support Squadron. Airman Sherman, who will sing Reba McEntire's "Why haven't I heard from you?", was quick to enter this event. "I'd do this for fun. To possibly be rewarded for something I enjoy, this couldn't be better." AMC Icon is a singing contest based loosely on the TV show "American Idol". While the aforementioned Mr. Cowell's critiques as a member of that show's judge panel have built him into a household name, McGuire's "Icon" contest will suffer no shortage of distinguished judges. The panel, including Col. Balan Ayyar, 305th Air Mobility Wing commander, and Fort Dix Commander Col. Ronald Thaxton, will grade contestants in areas of technical excellence and showmanship. The winner will receive $500. The top-scoring, active-duty, Air Force participant (to include McGuire affiliate units) will compete in the command final Oct. 23. "The money's cool - no one's going to turn down that - but the chance to move on is the really exciting thing," said Airman 1st Class Jeffrey Collins, 305th Civil Engineer Squadron. Airman Collins will sing "Letters from War", a little-known song by Mark Schultz. "It's its own high - when the (audience) gets into what you're doing. I hope they can hear the lyrics and enjoy the song's message." Each contestant must learn two songs - a primary song of their choosing and one of three, secondary songs chosen by the Air Force Band of Mid-America. The secondary song, either Paul McCartney's "Let it Be", Brian McKnight's version of Van Morrison's "Crazy Love" or Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," will be sung if there is a tie in judging. Emcee Senior Master Sgt. Philip "Big Phil" Gaudette, star of the Services Squadron's "Services TV", figures to add a comedic element to the evening. Only McGuire-affiliated military personnel are eligible to advance to the command final, but anyone with independent access to the base can compete for the cash prizes. Sgt. 1st Class Eric Turner, a non-commissioned officer in charge of the Fort Dix Joint Readiness Center, will take the stage representing Fort Dix. "I hope I don't get booed," joked Sgt. 1st Class Turner. "It may be challenging. There are some people at McGuire who can sing. You just have to stay focused, remember the words and the parts of the song to which you've added certain, vocal enhancements." Be it opening for country singer Aaron Tippin in front of revved-up fans at McGuire or singing karaoke at their local bar, none of these "Icon" hopefuls is a stranger to performing in public. Airman 1st Class Justin Inman, 305th Logistics Readiness Squadron, will sing The Temptations' "Just My Imagination", a song he's been crooning karaoke-style with his dad since he was 13. "I'm sure I'll be a little nervous at the start," Airman Inman said. "I'll probably be able to get psyched up. I think it'll be fun." The 5:30 p.m. event will run in conjunction with The Club's membership drive, with hot dogs and hamburgers free to club members. Snow cones and a bounce house will add to the "family-friendly" atmosphere. The Icon program is an AMC commander initiative designed to showcase the vocal talents of the AMC communities. Each of the 11 AMC installations will conduct or have conducted a base-level Icon contest during July and August. The events are solo, vocal (karaoke-style) competitions open to all authorized participants 18 years and older.