Does not continue to expand and to go to places like senegal and liberia to make sure that this disease is contained and therefore does not become a threat to the homeland. That is what they do. The uso, i hope you did not think we would put you out of work. We are not going to put you out of work. You will have some work to do and we are proud to be partners with you in doing it. I also want to make a special mention tonight to a couple that happened to be here with us and to get, i think im a far less credit than they deserve or what they have done for their country and thats lloyd and Charlene Austin who happen to be sitting at our table tonight. [applause] if you value humility as a character trait, there is not many people i know better as humble as lloyd and Charlene Austin. When you think about the portfolio we have given him and the men and women who served with him, its quite remarkable. Hes got really Big Shoulders but its even remarkable that even he can bear the weight of what we have asked him to do. Join me in a round of applause for lloyd and charlene. [applause] i already talked about kellie pickler. What an incredible person and kyl her husband. So she is an extraordinarily successful and talented countrywestern singer and on a whim says maybe i will try that dancing with the stars thing and im glad she does not want to give a shot to being the chairman. [laughter] im not sure i could fight her off. She is little, very little, but she is mean as a snake. [laughter] that i want to mention one other person and i actually i try to mention this person every year. Some of you have been here for these events in the past. I apologize for being repetitive but marilou austin where is she . [applause] let me tell you i dont know where she is i may get her to stand up and if somebody can find her with a spotlight marilou where is she . Stand up. [applause] you are standing, im sorry. Some of you heard the story but when i was a Second Lieutenant on the way to germany, it was january, 1975, i was lost. This is before sponsorship was a big deal. They kind of gave you a ticket to go to a place you could not pronounce. I got off of the aircraft and i went to where we all go when youre not exactly sure where to go. I went to the uso. Mary lou was there. She steered me in the right direction and i told this story three years ago she came up to me after and said it was me. I thought that was cool so every year now, here you are. She is down in atlanta now but heres the rest of the story last year mike son was redeploying from afghanistan through atlanta. Guess who he met . Marilou austin. [applause] last thing i want to say before i bow off the stage and we will get the chiefs appear to recognize the wonderful young men and women who are honored here tonight is i want to mention the army on many tonight has a special connection to me. I dont even think he knows it. My son was class of 2000 from west point and had a best friend by the name of tom kennedy. Tom kennedy was killed just about two years ago now in afghanistan. In that incident, there was a suicide bomber with a suicide vest. Among the folks who made the situation less catastrophic than it could have been was Sergeant Andrew mahoney who happens to be the army nominee tonight. [applause] he actually tackled a couple of the members of the team that were there and prevented them from being killed in that incident. That is who we are, right . I never met him but i will meet him here in a moment. Weve got a connection that i did not even know we had until i read the bio. Heres the deal, people say to me whats it like to be chairman right now . Its hard to describe actually. Its probably hard for all of us to describe what its like to be serving just now when we are. But i did find this little irish ditty. Can i get a drink of water before i try to bang out this irish tune . Can somebody hand me a drink of water . Somebody back there has got to be listening. By the way, this is the guy that put me in this position. I will never forgive you for this. [laughter] thanks, sir, george casey, 36 chief of staff of the United States army. [applause] i found this little it will shock you when i tell you it is an irish ditty but it is a little story about a brick layer. He was a brick layer and he was actually writing to his boss to explain why he was not at work on this particular day. Its called the sick note. I would describe it as analogous to what its like to be serving at this level at this particular point in time. Heres how it goes sir, i write this note to you to tell you of me plight and at the time of writing, i am not a pretty sight my body is all black and blue me face a deathly gray i write this note to say why patty is not at work today while working on the 14th floor, some bricks i had to clear now to throw them down from such a height was not a good idea the foreman was not very pleased he being an awkward sod. He said i would have to carry them down on the letter with me hod. Clearing all the bricks by hand, it was so very slow so i hoisted up a barrel and secured the rope below but inme hasted to do the job, i was too blind to see that a barrel full of building bricks was heavier than me so when i did untie the rope, the barrel felt like lead and clinging tightly to the rope, i started up instead while i shot up like a rocket to my dismay i found that halfway up i met the bloody barrel coming down [laughter] the barrel broke me shoulder as to the ground it sped and when i reached the top, i banged the pulley with my head but i clung on tight through and shock from this almighty blow and the barrel still dont have to bricks 14 floors below now when these bricks have fallen from the barrel to the floor i then outweighed the barrel and so started down once more [laughter] still clinging tightly to the rope, i sped back towards the ground and i landed on the broken bricks that were spread and scattered around while i laid there groaning on the floor, i thought i had passed the worst when the barrel at the pulley wheel, and then the bottom burst a shower of bricks rained down on me i had not got a hope as i lay there moaning on the ground i let go the bloody rope [laughter] the barrel then being heavier, it started down once more and landed right across me as i lay across the floor well it broke three ribs and my left arm and i can only say that i hope youll understand p whyaddys not at work today. [laughter] [applause] [applause] thanks. On behalf of the joint chiefs, let me tell you how proud we are to be part of this ceremony tonight and how proud we are of the men and women who serve and serving our country sidebyside with the uso. God bless you all, thank you. [applause] i dont think i have enjoyed anything more than watching the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff singh and irish ditty a cappella. It was incredible. We have to get some kind of celebrity idol going on. Kelly come come out and coach you. By the way, this is for irish people, no . Thats why all the drinking, ok . They will tell you that was true. [laughter] to help recognize this years uso Service Members of the year, please welcome back to the states, dr. Crouch, general meyer, and general dempsey. [applause] and assisting us with the award presentation this evening is the daughter of a retired u. S. Army major and miss district of columbia, teresa davis, a proud military brat. She dedicated saluting the military and their families. Each year, we come together to celebrate, honor, and recognize a servicemember from each branch of the military for their outstanding and heroic actions. Our first presenter is a graduate of the United States military academy and served key operational leadership posts in europe, the middle east and the United States. To present the 2014 u. S. Soldier of the year award in the please welcome the army chief of odierno. Neral ray [applause] thank you very much. General dempsey was a 37 chief of staff and i am the 38. Like all things, talent skips a generation. [laughter] so as we pick the next chief, we will be conducting singing auditions before we decide who the chief will be. [laughter] general dempsey has volunteered to be one of those who graze the audition. Who graze the audition. I want to thank everyone at the uso for this incredible evening and for what you do. Everyone of us who wear uniform have our own uso story. We can all set up. And tell a great story of how it impacted us or one of our family members or one of our soldiers. I want to thank everyone for that tonight. I also have the honor tonight of presenting the soldier of the year. We often talk as i go around, i say that the army, the strength of the army is our soldiers. Tonights awardee, Sergeant Mahoney, is incredibly representative of that. We often talk about courage, competence, commitment, and character and he represents all of those incredible things. We are very, very proud of him as he represents the army this evening. Our honorees are accompanied by family and friends tonight while we recognize these extraordinary Service Members, we also want to recognize the family members and friends of our honorees. In so many ways, our family and friends served with us. Its obvious to me that Sergeant Mahoney has a close and loving family supporting him. He is joined tonight by his wife melanie, his parents lori and james, his siblings travis, trevor, and sarah and his sisterinlaw christie and brotherinlaw ray. I want to thank all of you for supporting andrew. Thank you so much. [applause] on the morning of august 8, 2012, Sergeant Andrew j mahoney help to tackle a suicide bomber near the provincial governors compound in afghanistan. He saved the lives of 24 people. Including the Fourth Brigade Combat Team fourth infantry divisions commander at the time, colonel now Brigadier General james mingus