THE LINE UP

   The California Girls are:  Sandy Walker on bass guitar, a tall, leggy blonde heartbreaker;  Michelle Olsen, keyboard player and another blond bombshell (due to a recent operation, she didn't go, so we took Annie Bertucci in her place -- an energetic firecracker on keyboards); "Rebel" Tamara Ericson who dances and sings her heart out, Judy Shock, our newest member who is not only beautiful but plays saxophone and sings like crazy; and "Guitar Goddess" (co-author) Barbara Leoni shreds all over a lead guitar.
   On drums we have (co-author) Barbara Goodman, the comedic voice of the band who says she "drives the train and lands the plane" (Goodman is also Snotty Scotty and the Hankie's longtime drummer).  We all take turns singing lead vocals and each of us has her own selection of "big numbers."
   The band took drums, amps, instruments, microphones and a speaker system (17 extra pieces of baggage!) and got on a plane heading west over the Pacific Ocean.  Eighteen hours later we arrived in Singapore, a place with an unusual mix of Asians, Indians, Muslims, and Westerners.  It was surprising to us that almost everyone spoke English and it was very easy to get around on the train system, which we used at every opportunity to go shopping.
   We were made aware of the local laws of no chewing gum or littering.  If you broke the law, you could be caned.  (We saw several people picking their noses and wondering if a "citizen's caning" was in order!)  The people of Singapore celebrated Christmas Eve as if it were New Year's Eve -- with hats, champagne, confetti, a countdown to midnight and cries of "Merry Christmas" in their heavy accents.

HOME BASE

   The Carl Vinson was the first aircraft carrier on scene in the North Arabian Sea, their fighter planes the first to drop bombs in Afghanistan.  The people aboard hadn't been off the ship in 111 days, so we were their first contacts from home.
   It was a day to remember.  The sheer size of the ship and number of aircraft were amazing.....it was a floating city !
   Nicole, a firefighter on the ship, showed us here living quarters down below.  They sleep in rows stacked three beds height and share a small living area.  Members of the "Fighting Redcock Squadron", who fly and maintain the F-18 fighter aircraft gave Barbara Goodman a sticker she proudly displays on her drums.
   We met some higher brass too.....Commander Grey has a 3-year-old daughter who got a shiny red guitar for Christmas and asked if she could "sit in" with the band.  It was Christmas Day and we were dressed in our red-and-white Santa dresses made by our bass player, Sandy.
   "Of course," we said.  She was a natural performer and fit right in with her blonde hair.  No stage fright there.  The guys got a kick out of it an I'm sure she made them think of their children at home.
   Another ship came in to Singapore, the U.S.S. Ogden.  Three enlisted musicians wanted to "sit in," so we gladly let them, knowing it's good for their morale to see their buddies get up on stage and jam.  Their commanding officer liked them so much that he promised them a budget so they could buy equipment and play on the ship.  They told the band, "You made my West Pac!" - meaning their tour of duty in the western pacific was now worthwhile.
   Next, we boarded a C-141 to a British ocean territory known as the "Footprint of Freedom."  A natural port made by a volcano, Diego Garcia is a strip of land surrounding a lagoon with blue, warm water and white-sand beaches.  What a tropical paradise!  Coral reefs for snorkeling, deep-sea fishing, dolphins, colorful birds, bicycles to rent and lots of sun and fun.  The guys who had been there awhile felt a little differently as they had island fever.  That's where we came in.  They said our presence increased the female population significantly.
   While at Diego Garcia, we met the team from the U.S.S. Russell who rescued the four men from the B-1 bomber that crashed in the Indian Ocean over the holidays.
   Master Sgt. Dave Donaldson, Technical Sgt. Gary Hanna, and Lt. Col. Bob Millman walked the band through a B-52 Bomber and a KC-10 Extender refueling aircraft out at the airport.  The B-52's belly was pregnant with bombs.  They were cold to the touch, even though it was sweltering hot on the tarmac.  It was a bone-chilling moment to know they would soon be dropped over Afghanistan.
   At this point the girls were presented with chalk to write on the bombs.  After a quick photo shoot, the band saw the KC-10 Extender.  We were eager to see the refueling seats at the back of the plane.  Dave said, "I'm always busy extending my 18 inch boom ..... I'm the one who passes more gas than anyone else in the military!"
   "Capt. Bob" Millman is a pilot who works for American Airlines who lost two co-workers on the ill-fated Sept. 11 flights.  He didn't seem to want to talk much about it.  Capt. Bob arranged for the band to have a special "briefing" at the airfield so we could get an in-depth look at the was in Afghanistan.  We viewed unclassified videotape showing the pinpoint accuracy of "smart bombs," fitted with guidance devices that minimize human casualties.  We also received samples of leaflets that were dropped all over Afghanistan with various messages printed on them, telling people on the ground that bombs were going to be dropped in the area and what radio station they should tune into for details of the military action.
  
SMART BOMB KISSES

   After the airfield we toured the "Tent City" where most of the personnel are staying.   The entire band felt guilty that we were given our own rooms in the officers' quarters while they were slogging around in the mud every day.  At the recreation hall we saw the outpouring of cards, letters and cookies sent by children to the troops.  Large banners signed by entire towns in the Midwest hung on the dining facility walls where we ate after our sweaty tour of the airstrip.
   As our bus rolled through Tent City, Dave asked us to go above and beyond the call of duty.  He had a "special mission" for us, if we chose to take it.
   You see, Dave's roommate, Christian, was working at night and could not come to our shows.  We mad a surprise visit to his tent.  The sign above the door read, "The no-love shack."
   Arming ourselves with thick coats of red lipstick, also known as "lipping up," we entered the tent quietly while Christian slept.  The kisses hit their targets with incredible accuracy.  The groggy airman awoke with kisses all over his face, neck and back and told the girls that he thought he was dreaming.
   "Wait!"  Where are you going?  Come back!" he said.  According to his friends, Christian avoided the shower for the next three days.  Mission accomplished!
   The California Girls had a little mission of our own while at Diego Garcia.
   Caroline Virgil, an Altadena resident, had met our band at Domenico's bar in Old Town Pasadena one Tuesday night.  When she heard that we would be at Diego Garcia, she excitedly told us that she wanted to send some pajamas to her nephew, 1st Lt. Timothy McFadden, who had been overseas since 9-11.  Timothy is an Electronics Warfare Officer (EWO) on a B-52 bomber.
   The band did some "inside" investigative work to make sure Timothy would be at the huge New Year's Eve party, the biggest concert of the tour.  Timothy's buddies pushed him onto the stage wearing a bewildered look.  When we gave him his aunt's Christmas present, the crowd went wild!  Timothy gave us a sealed envelope to deliver back to his Aunt Carol, our most important mission accomplished.
   As we signed autographs the band was repeatedly asked, "What is it like back in the U.S.?"  Our troops weren't here for the candlelight vigils and mass patriotism that swept the nation last fall.
   No matter what your personal opinion of the war, our troops need to feel that we are behind them, no matter what.
   The California Girls proudly look forward to our tour for the entire month of March to Honolulu, Guam, Johnston Island, Kwajalein, Kosroe, Pohnpei, Chuuk, Okinawa and Hiroshima.
   The California Girls will then have a big party in early April when they return to their regular Tuesday nights at Domenico's Bar & Grill, Old Town Pasadena.