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| HOOAH!!!! Radio News |
| December 26, 2005 | | | HOOAH!!!! Radio: Internet station is a conduit for messages, music and support for troops overseas | | | By Tim Clodfelter
Journal Reporter
Winston-Salem Journal |
| When Rick Bradley was serving overseas in the U.S. Army during Operation Desert Storm, he felt a disconnect from his family back home.
Fifteen years later, he and his wife, Pam, came up with a way for people to send a quick message and a tune to loved ones serving their country.
Hooah!!!! Radio (www.hooahradio.com), a free Internet radio station, is devoted to soldiers and their families.
The name of the station comes from a common exclamation in the military that has a variety of meanings.
"It can mean 'excellent,' 'roger that,' 'I'll get it done,'" Bradley said, "but it never means 'no.'"
The station started in November with a staff of volunteer disc jockeys who are military veterans or family members of soldiers. The DJs are given two-hour blocks of time to program.
"They need no experience," Bradley said. "Basically we spend the time training them. All they need is music."
The training usually takes about three hours, he said.
The station is looking for more volunteer DJs. An application form can be found on the station's Web site at www.hooahradio.com.
Bradley lives in Denver. He works with MissionMode Solutions, a division of InterAct Public Safety Systems, based in Winston-Salem. He frequently takes business trips to Winston-Salem. His oldest son, Steven, 19, is in the Army and was recently deployed to Iraq.
Hooah!!!! Radio carries a variety of music, including country, hits of the 1980s and classic rock. The music is up to the individual DJs, though there are some general guidelines.
"It's a family radio station," Bradley said. "You don't have to worry about vulgar music, and children can listen to it."
One of the key elements of the station is the opportunity for people to give a "Shout Out," a message of support and a dedication of a favorite song to a loved one in the military.
The station follows Operational Security (OPSEC) guidelines and won't announce a soldier's last name, unit, dates of deployment or other such information. But even with just a first name, the station strives to give soldiers stationed overseas a personal note from the people back home.
For example, when Steven Bradley was deployed, his kid brother, 6-year-old Ricky, sent a shout out that said "Steven, this is your little brother Ricky. I love you, hope you come home safe, God bless you, I miss you already."
"Soldiers in general are often left wondering 'What does everyone think of what I'm doing?'" Bradley said. "One of the things we really wanted to centralize on was letting those troops know that we support them, whatever our political beliefs are.... It's very important for morale, keeping their spirits up so they'll go out there and give 120 percent like they did the day before."
Tim Clodfelter can be reached at tclodfelter@wsjournal.com
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