“Chingy” AFE Tour – Guam, S. Korea, Okinaw and Japan

TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY — AUGUST 1ST, 2^ND AND 3^RD, 2023 – FLIGHT TO GUAM WITH CHINGY AND DJ ACTRIGHT:

Another trip that starts with 1 ½ hours sleep before flying for 24 hours.  UGH.  Chingy and DJ Actright are touring Guam, South Korea, Okinawa and Japan for the next 20 days.  Same countries I visited last month with Autumn Kings but some different bases this time.

DJ flew from West Virginia to Denver yesterday because we could not find a flight that would get him there early enough today to connect with our flight to Guam.  My Nashville flight departed to Denver on time but DJ’s flight out of Missouri was delayed.  Fortunately, we booked long layovers and we all met in Denver with plenty of time to make the connection.  I tried to sleep on my flight but was not successful.

Met up with Chingy and DJ in the gate area in Denver and the fight boarded on time.  Honestly the smallest First Class section ever.  I think I complained about it last trip.  For the money charged, it is truly disappointing.  Of course, I would never make it in the back of the plane.  It just bites to pay the high cost and then not even have a seat where you can move your arms without bumping into the sides.  I can literally reach out and touch the man across the aisle from me, too.

We landed on time and it was a breeze going to our gate for the flight to Guam.  No Immigration or Baggage Pickup since we were on a connecting flight.  We had a few hours before our next fight and just hung out at the gate area.

Flight to Guam boarded on time and I immediately remembered how brutal this flight was last month. It’s a 3 hour and 50 minute flight and there’s no WiFi.  Flight attendant said they don’t have a “satellite” in this region.  Hmmm…Delta does!  Also the food was inedible.  And, the same thing happened in July with the Customs cards.  We were told that the aircraft was not given any cards in “English” and we could either download the form or fill it out when we arrived.  I sent Chingy and Todd a text message to fill their outs online but Todd never received his until after we had arrived and were traveling to the hotel.  Keep in mind that Guam is a U.S. Territory….but they never have any Customs Cards in English?  Messed up!

We landed and Todd had to fill out his card.  Then when he finally made it up to the Agent (long line!), the Agent told him he didn’t’ need it, tore it up and threw it away!  Of course, he did need it when we got to baggage claim so he had to fill out another card.

Jenn (who is awesome) was waiting for us with a large van.  Unfortunately, the space behind the seats was small and everything would not fit.  She had to lift a couple of the heavy bags over the seats in the back.  I need to send out a reminder to all the bases before we leave here and remind them AGAIN, that we have a LOT of large suitcases.

Once we got to the Westin, checking in was nightmare.  They did not give us the type of rooms we reserved.  Mine is a handicapped room and I’m sitting on 3 pillows just trying to get to a height where I can work on my laptop!  The location is definitely better but the Hilton is a nicer hotel.  Guess it’s too much to ask for both – great location and great hotel!

It’s after 3 am so I’m shutting down and going to grab a little sleep.  Lobby call is at noon and it’s a very FULL day!

Jude

 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 4^TH – FIRST PERFORMANCE AT ANDERSEN AIR BASE, GUAM:

Chingy had to change rooms (again) last night because his air conditioner quit working!

Lobby call was 12 noon today and we started off with some really cool Unit visits at Andersen Air Base.  We weren’t able to schedule Unit visits last month with Autumn Kings because everyone was still working overtime to clean up from the typhoon.  There are still rolling blackouts every day and lots of restaurants still aren’t back to “full menus”, but it’s better than it was in July.

First stop was to see the HSC25 Helicopters.  I honestly thought I had seen/ridden in every type of military vehicle there is but this was a new experience for me.  We were all so impressed with their air rescue program.  The guys also got to “hold the big guns” and take photos but they were so heavy, we had to take really “quick” photos!  Very educational visit for us and such nice guys as well!

Next stop was the EOD Unit.  DJ suited up in the bomb suit.  It is extremely heavy and cumbersome and they made him lie on his back on the ground.  He was pretty much like a turtle on his back as far as being able to get up.  But, they showed him how to roll over on his side and manage to stand.  We were all very impressed with him!  Next, Chingy had a turn at learning how to “blow something up”.

We made a quick stop at the Base Exchange so Chingy could purchase another small bag to check on the flights.  United charged him $200 because his bag weighed 53 pounds – 3 pounds overweight.  They only charge DJ $100 for one extra bag.  Much less expensive to have two bags that weigh 50 pounds or less than one bag that is even slightly overweight.  So ridiculous.

My son Chris is escorting James Carothers and his band to Sao Paulo, Brazil this weekend.  I am really excited to be taking entertainment back into Brazil as I did in the late 80’s early 90’s.  Hopefully they will love the music and this will become an annual event for us.  They flew Nashville to Atlanta and then Atlanta to Sao Paulo on Delta.  They left the gate and then stopped the plane because they said they had to return to the gate because there was a “mix-up with a couple of bags” that needed to be loaded onto the plane.  Now, come on, when have you ever checked your App and told the flight attendant that your bags weren’t on the plane and the pilots agreed to go back to the gate?  I can answer that….NEVER.  All they will do is lie to you and say they will put them on the next flight out.  Of course, there was no gate available for the plane to return to.  So, 3 ½ hours later, they finally took off but if it had been any later, the pilots and crew would have run out of time to fly that day.  Crazy!!  At least they have now landed in Sao Paulo and hopefully things will go smoothly now.

Back to my Road Report instead of stealing Chris’s…..We went to the venue which is a nice club.  We were a couple of hours early for sound check but traffic is so horrible here especially on Fridays that we couldn’t go back to the hotel and come back again.  Good thing we arrived early.  Jeff with the production company was set up and ready for us.  However, DJ’s laptop would not “talk” to the console he had requested.  Evidently he had not updated his drivers and the computer wouldn’t recognize the console.  He tried everything and we were quickly running out of time to do a sound check.  Jeff sent someone to his warehouse and got a different brand of console.  While he was gone, we tried to load the show files (video and audio) from DJ’s computer to Jeff’s so these could be played for the show.  No matter how hard we tried, the files could not be copied from DJ’s computer to the jump drive even though there was plenty of space on the jump drive.  DJ was able get his computer to “talk” to the new console and about 30 minutes after the doors were “supposed” to open, they figured out why the show files wouldn’t copy to the jump drive.  Chingy did a really quick sound check but it sounded really good.

The club quickly packed to capacity and then went over capacity.  The staff was worried that they were going to have to start asking people to leave.  And then the Fire Department showed up.  They were really nice and said that they just wanted to watch a little of the show.  Someone on the staff panicked and said they were moving our dressing room/Green room to another location and put people in that area.  Of course, that wasn’t possible because Chingy was on stage and I did not want them packing up his things without him knowing.  Plus, the crowd would have been behind Jeff’s console and there was a risk of them accidentally bumping into something and disrupting the show.  Fortunately, the guys from the Fire Department left and did not say anything about making people leave.

About halfway through the show, Chingy invited 4 girls in the audience to come onstage for a “dance off”.  Let’s just say I will not be posting those videos!  It was interesting to say the least.

The line for photos was very long but with Jenn and Carly’s help, we ran through over 150 people in less than 30 minutes.  We had pre-ordered dinner but it took longer for them to cook than we expected so we had to wait quite a while for it to arrive to take back to the hotel with us.

There were 237 people packed into the club and the staff said it’s the biggest attendance they have had for a singer!  Great way to kick off the tour.  I do have some “surprise” video footage that I’ll post on Monday after we leave the island.  LOL

Jude

 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5^TH – SECOND PERFORMANCE AT GUAM NAVAL BASE:

The hotel has a really great gym and I was definitely looking forward to getting in a long workout since we didn’t need to depart to the base until 4:15 pm.  That “dream” ended with the text messages, What’sApp messages, Facebook Messengers and emails that came in overnight. This time difference is really difficult.  I only took one little break to work out in my room with bands and then to walk down the street to the ABC Store.  The hotel is in such a great area but I didn’t get to enjoy any of it.  There’s event a big mall only a block away.   I stopped in Starbucks for a Green Tea Macha Oatmilk Latte for my breakfast/lunch.

It was a shorter drive to the base today and when we went to Andersen.  The club where the show is being held is a lot bigger than the one last night. Once again they wanted to set up tables and chairs in the front but I discouraged that idea.  Fortunately, one of the MWR ladies from this base was at the show last night and confirmed my opinion.

DJ did not have any issues with the consoles today because he used the same ones from last night. But his computer still will not talk to the console that we asked to be provided at all the bases.  Frank is contacting each base to determine if they can provide the alternative which does work.  Sound check went quickly and I had our dinner delivered to the Green Room before the show instead of after.  Chingy and DJ ate theirs but I had to get a “to go” box because I had too much to do to stop and eat.

The show started on time and it was an even bigger crowd than last night but like I said, the room was larger and could accommodate more people.  The count was 303 people but several more came in after the staff quick counting.  It was another great show but there was an issue with the 4 girls that he brought up to dance.  They definitely could not dance as good as the girls last night but that was not the issue.  I had asked the staff to make sure they left the stage once Chingy thanked them.  Chingy started singing “Right Thurr” and the girls were dancing and the staff thought they needed to remove the girls from the stage.  They actually should have left them there a few more minutes because it meant the show was shorter than planned.  Chingy did sing his entire show though and then took photos with everyone in the line – which seemed like it was everyone at the show!  But, he’s a pro and we managed to finish in less than an hour.

It was another great evening for the men and women serving in Guam.  Tomorrow we fly to Tokyo and then to Korea.  It is a LONG travel day beginning with lobby call at 10:15 am and not arriving at lodging in Korea until after midnight!  First show on Monday will be at Camp Casey.

Jude

 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 6^TH – TRAVEL FROM GUAM TO KOREA – ALL DAY!!

Got up early to make sure I had enough time to check out and get receipts.  Knowing the issues with the front desk, I assumed this might be a lengthy process.  I called down and told them what I wanted and fortunately when I got to the check out desk, I got the person I spoke with. Was able to check everyone out quickly and get a printout and a copy emailed to me.  And, the amount charged was correct!

We arrived at the airport at 10:30 am and got the sweetest lady at the check in counter.  She even worked it so that there was no excess baggage charges.  I went into the United Lounge for about 20 minutes and got a little bit of work done.  Flight boarded and departed on time and once again – United sucks.  The video monitors did not work for the first part of the flight but the movies they offered have been on there since the end of June.  There are only about 6 movies and none worth watching.  I like to watch the in-flight map but of course, since there’s no WiFi, that doesn’t work.  I knew to skip the meal completely on this flight because it would have been inedible anyway.  So…I slept.  After only sleeping 3 hours last night, I guess that’s what I needed to do.

We landed on time and I was able to take one guest into the lounge for free and I paid for a day pass for the other.  It’s a 4 hour layover so I wanted them to have somewhere to relax.  We boarded on time and the flight was shorter than “advertised” which was awesome.  Landed on time, too, but we made the mistake of stopping at the restroom.  Another flight landed while we were in there and we stood in line at Immigration for over an hour!  Our bags were just sitting by the belt by themselves by the time we made it to baggage claim.  Mr. Chong (who I haven’t seen since before COVID) met us with a large bus which was a real treat.  Chingy immediately went to the back and laid down.

It was about an hour and a half drive to Camp Casey and we are staying at the same lodging.  I remember this base well because I came here so many times.  Tomorrow is one of the few remaining days that I can get in a workout and I’m determined to make that happen!  Going to hold this report until tomorrow since it’s pretty boring.

Jude

MONDAY, AUGUST 7^TH – THIRD SHOW AT CAMP CASEY, SOUTH KOREA:

So our first obligation today isn’t until 2 pm.  However, Mr. Chong wanted to get Todd on the phone with Mr. Kim at the Production Company at 9 am because Mr. Kim was going to try to rent the system Todd needs for the show.  I got up and dressed to go to the gym and stopped in the lobby on the way out to talk to Mr. Chong and Todd.  They were on the phone with Mr. Kim discussing the equipment.  Mr. Kim was telling Todd that no one had the brand he needed and he could not find another option that would work with his computer.  I went to the gym and told them to call me if they needed me.  I remember the gym from previous visits because we held our shows there.  I didn’t even get to lift the first weight before all hell broke loose with the production crisis.  I went back to the lodging and had Mr. Chong take us to Casey IT.  A really nice man named Bill helped us all he could.  We learned that hardly anyone uses an Apple computer in Korea.  Everyone is Windows users!  Mr. Chong was going to take Todd and his computer to meet Mr. Kim in downtown Seoul to see what would work.  But when I found out it was an hour and a half drive one way, I axed that idea!!! Instead I suggested we go to the Base Exchange and purchase a new computer that we were SURE would work with the original equipment requested.  We found what we thought would work and purchased it with the understanding that we could return it later that day if it didn’t work and get a full refund.

I left Todd with Bill with instructions to text me updates.  By then it was much too late to get in a workout and a shower before time for soundcheck.  At 2 pm, I picked up Chingy for our Unit Visit with Field Artillery.  This was supposed to be an hour visit outdoors looking at their equipment and maybe shooting some things.  But, since Chingy has a show tonight, I was worried about him getting heat stroke!   We moved the meeting indoors and chatted with everyone and then Chingy took a personal photo with each person.  I ordered a meal for him and had him taken back to lodging until time for soundcheck.

I went to the venue and once again was surprised to learn that the entire room was set up with tables and chairs.  I had to ask them to remove all but the ones in the very back of the room.  The great news was that Todd confirmed that everything was good with the new computer and the program was working.  I brought Chingy down for sound check at 4 pm and it only took him 15 minutes to complete it.  Took him back to lodging until show time.    About 10 minutes before the show started at 6:30 pm, a huge group walked in and many of them were still in uniform.  I found out later that their Commander told them if they attended the show they didn’t have to do PT tomorrow.  What a great idea!  LOL.

Another killer show!  This time they brought up two male and two female dancers and that was “interesting”!  We had 180 people attend the show and close to that many in the after-show photo line!  I had Chingy taken back to lodging as soon as he finished the M&G and Todd and I followed shortly thereafter. Was hoping to get into bed early tonight but that isn’t going to happen.

I am going to treat getting in a workout as a 12 Step Program.  Saturday in Guam, I completed Step 1.  Today, I completed Step 2.  Sadly, we aren’t going to have enough “time off” for me to get all the way to Step 12 so chances are I won’t get in a workout.  I’d definitely settle for a long jog but with the heat index at 110 degrees and 100% humidity, that’s not going to happen.  My phone has been blowing up all day with heat index warnings.

We depart at 9 am tomorrow for the 4 hour drive to Kunsan.  Hopefully, it will be a little less than that but it is a long way from Casey!

Jude

 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 8^TH – TRAVEL FROM CAMP CASEY TO KUNSAN AB:

Lobby call was at 9 am and we had a 4 hour drive to Kunsan.  Actually, the time passed quickly and I got a little work done enroute.  We made one quick stop at a rest area and then arrived at Kunsan.  As usual, they had the top wing leadership waiting for us at lodging (except Wolf is at Osan). Bianca has been our contact again at Kunsan and she is so awesome.  Only, her time is up here and she’s leaving for Osan and then home tomorrow.  Will be very sad to see her go.  Rica and Doug are definitely still there and they are awesome, too.  I finally met Aaron – who up until this point has been away every time I visited.  Like I said, Kunsan and the Wolf Pack are simply amazing!

We dropped our bags and went to the food court to grab a quick lunch.  Then we went to visit Special Forces and see the “drones”.  Honestly, we had to cut the visit short because it’s just too hot to be outside! They SF guys didn’t want to be standing out in the sun any more than we did!  Next visit was inside a hanger to see the F-16.  “Wizard” from our visit last month with Autumn Kings had a conflict and couldn’t be there.  But, he sent a great replacement.

We had a couple of hours to recover from the heat before we left for dinner with Wolf Pack Leadership and Staff.  Again, what a great group of people and how special that they take time out of their busy schedule to show us such a warm welcome!  We went to the same restaurant we visited with Autumn Kings and again, it was excellent food.  I should have taken photos of the table!  We were back at the hotel a little after 8 pm and I spent until 3 am dealing with problems that had to be solved.  Going to be a short night as I have to get up at 6:30 am.  No update on the typhoon other than it is supposedly heading straight for us and will hit late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning….

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9^TH – PERFORMANCE AT KUNSAN AIR BASE, KOREA:

Wow…it was hard to get up today.  We met in the lobby at 8:45 am and drove over to AFN.  Chingy was able to download a couple of his new songs so they could play them while he was in the studio. I had told DJ that he didn’t need to be there but Chingy wanted him, so we sent someone back to pick him up.

After the AFN visit, we went to see the K-9 working dogs. Only the electricity went out just as we pulled up.  The handlers must have a way to cool down the dog after a demonstration so we had to cancel the visit. We went to the Fire Department instead for a tour.  Always fun to visit those guys!

Lunch at the food court was next on the agenda. I got a salad and took it back to my room to try and get a little work done…. “Little” being the key word. UGH.  I am so far behind…..

At 4 pm, Todd and I went over to the venue to check on the progress with the production load in.  There were again several issues that had to be corrected and we had to delay bringing Chingy over for sound check.  But we still got it done well before doors opened.

There were approximately 330 people in attendance and another great show.  And, there were no chairs set up in front of the stage when I arrived.  LOL!!!!

Another very long autograph line, but we worked as a team and managed to finish it in less than an hour…with everyone getting a photo with Chingy.  We still know very little about the typhoon.  We are “scheduled” to depart to Osan at 9 am tomorrow but also have our rooms reserved to stay here.  Won’t be able to make a decision until we wake up and see how fast it is traveling and which path it is continuing on.  There’s no “panic” on base like there would be in the USA.  HA!

Jude

THURSDAY, AUGUST 10^TH – TRAVEL FROM KUNSAN, AB TO OSAN, AB:

It was raining very hard and lots of wind this morning but we were told it was safe to drive to Osan.  Evidently, the typhoon had turned and would not be making a direct hit near us.  We loaded onto the bus and Aaron – our POC at Kunsan – was sweet enough to ride over with us.  It’s a 2 ½ hour trip and then he had to turn around and go back to Kunsan!  We only made one stop at a rest area.  I took one look at the rain blowing almost horizontally and decided there was no reason for me to get off the bus!

We arrived Osan a few minutes early and Doris (our POC here) already had our keys ready for us.  This is the first time I have stayed in a DV suite at this lodging and it sure is nice.  Has a washer and dryer in the suite, too.  I am so excited because we are staying here for 4 nights!  Camp Humphreys didn’t have lodging for us, so we get to stay here since it is only a 30 minute drive between the bases.  I can actually unpack everything in my suitcase and leave it out for 4 nights….what a luxury!!

We dropped our bags and headed to the DFAC (first time I’ve eaten there, too!) to have lunch with several Airmen.  Food at the DFAC is pretty much the same around the world…terrible.  Wasn’t much better today. The rain was torrential when we arrived and still that way when we departed.

We went back to lodging as that was the only obligations we had today.  Didn’t want to commit to much since we weren’t sure the typhoon was going to cooperate with our plans.  Doris and her sweet husband William picked me up at around 3:30 pm and drove me to the shopping street in Osan.  William helped me pick up my two 35 pound boxes of challenge coins I had ordered when I was here in July.  They look terrific, too!  Then they drove me to the base post office and helped me fill out all the paperwork to ship them home.

I went back to lodging and began trying to catch up on the hundreds of emails that required a response.  I had to pass on having dinner with Bianca and Doris and William because I just had too much work that was backlogged and needed a timely response.   It is almost 2:30 am now and I’m closing down for the day.  Still not caught up but feel a little less pressured now that I’ve gotten a few things marked off the “to do” list.

Jude

 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 11^TH – PERFORMANCE AT OSAN AB:

Lobby call was 10:00 am for the drive from Osan AB to Camp Humphreys and the AFN radio interview.  We had the same DJ that we had with Autumn Kings last month and she was awesome.  Chingy is really good with interviews and it was a fun hour.

We stopped by the food court to grab lunch “to go” and eat on the ride back to Osan.  But first we stopped by the Flightline Club where the show will take place tomorrow night.  Doug – the club manager – did his usual awesome job of setting up exactly like we wanted.

We had about 15 minutes after arriving back at lodging before departing to our Unit visit with 36 FS.  Had another great tour of the F-16 only this time we were not allowed to take any photos.  Different base – different rules – every time.

As soon as we arrived back at lodging, DJ and I went to the E’Club which is where the show takes place tonight.  It’s the same production company, and things were finally the same as they were the night before.  I felt confident in leaving him to set up and I went back to lodging to try and catch up on more emails.

We brought Chingy over at 5 pm for a quick sound check and things went well.  He decided just to stay there until show time at 7 pm.  Doris – our POC here at Osan – is so awesome.  I met her and worked with her at Misawa AB with Kellie Pickler last November.  She does such an amazing job of coordinating these events.

Doors opened at 6 pm and by 7 pm showtime the room was packed.  Leadership came backstage and thanked Chingy at 6:30 pm.  Chingy had a really great show tonight.  Brought the 4 dancers on stage and they were really good. He’s been bringing up 2 guys and 2 girls and he and DJ each have a “team” that dances against each other.  Chingy’s team was definitely the winner tonight.

Doris had limited the M&G to 200 people and all 200 showed up.  She had it organized so perfectly that it only took 30 minutes to take individual photos with all 200 people plus group photos of staff, security, and transportation after the show.  Lodging is across the street from the E’club but because it’s still raining from the typhoon, we have to be driven back and forth.

We were back at lodging before 9 pm. This was out biggest attendance of the tour – 433 without staff and 460 with staff.  Way to go Osan!!

Tomorrow is the show at Camp Humphreys.  I’m hoping to get in a workout tomorrow morning!

Jude