White Rose Adventures

4Troops Press Release

SONY MASTERWORKS SIGNS 4TROOPS

Young American Veterans Record Debut CD – Available April 20, 2010

Portion Of Proceeds Benefit Veteran-Related Charities

New York – January 26, 2010 – Sony MASTERWORKS announces the signing of 4TROOPS.  Their debut self-titled CD will be available on April 20^th with a portion of the proceeds from the sales to benefit veteran-related charities.

4TROOPS are United States combat veterans – three young men and one woman who served on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan.  While overseas, music played a crucial and very personal role in all of their lives.  They would sing at everything from large military events to more intimate settings, where they would jam in their bunk after a long day in the field and try to recall a slice of home.  They also used their voices at somber occasions like memorial services, where they would sing to remember those that had been lost. 4TROOPS now come together for a singular purpose: to sing on behalf of all troops, to honor their sacrifices and to create awareness for their needs.

The members of 4TROOPS are: Former Cpt. Meredith Melcher, Former Sgt. Daniel Jens, Staff Sgt. (Ret.) Ron Henry and Former Sgt. David Clemo.  Melcher, 29, is the daughter of a retired three-star General.  She served as a platoon leader on the front lines in Iraq where she led her troops in the successful ambulance evacuations of hundreds of wounded Americans and Iraqis.  Jens, 36, served in Iraq and was most recently stationed at Fort Hood. He joined the army after the events of 9/11.  Jens was one of the finalists on “America’s Got Talent.” He was released from the Army at the end of January.  Henry, 41, served in the Army for 20 years. He was a transport manager in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division, and also the leader of an Army singing group “Transportation Express.”  Clemo, 30, served on the front lines in Afghanistan providing communications and logistics support for the 18th Airborne Corps.  He and Melcher toured together in 2004 with the Army Soldier Show.

The album consists of well-known positive pop and country songs and some new songs.  All of the songs take on a special meaning in the context that they are performed by these four combat heroes.  The first song is For Freedom, an inspirational patriotic tune written by Matt Moran for his grandfather, a WWII vet.  Country star Toby Keith gives his blessing for a new version of his popular and controversial post 9/11 hit Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue to be included on the album with lyrics revised to reflect a 2010 outlook.  Another country hit on the album is Galveston, popularized by Glen Campbell. This song made the CMT list of the ten greatest country-western songs of all time.  Other tracks include Angel by Sarah McLachlan, Lonestar’s I Am Already There, and a new song written by Victor Hurtado titled Here We’ve Been. The album is produced by Frank Fillipetti (Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon, George Michael, Pavarotti) who produced James Taylor’s Hourglass album which won Fillipetti a Grammy® for Best Pop Album and Best Engineered Album in 1998.

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The group was brought together by veteran Victor Hurtado.  He has been part of Army Entertainment for the last 25 years, first as a Soldier and Music Director, and later as the Artistic Director. He is currently the Production Director for the Army Soldier Show. This show was established during WWI in 1918 by Sgt. Israel Beilin, better known as Irving Berlin.

Sony is in the process of finalizing arrangements to donate a portion of proceeds from 4TROOPS projects to one or more veteran-related charities, including the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). IAVA is the first and largest non-partisan, non-profit for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. IAVA has more than 180,000 veteran members and civilian supporters nationwide. IAVA was founded by Iraq veteran Paul Rieckhoff, the author of the critically acclaimed book Chasing Ghosts and a nationally-recognized authority on the war in Iraq and issues affecting our troops, military families and veterans at home.

Bob Woodruff, the ABC news anchor who was severely injured in Iraq, conducted the first TV interview with 4TROOPS which aired on Good Morning America (ABC) on Tuesday January 26^th.  Woodruff is personally invested in creating a better environment for injured troops who return from war. Through The Bob Woodruff Foundation and ReMIND.org, Woodruff’s goal is to provide resources and support to service members, veterans and their families to successfully reintegrate into their communities, in addition to educate the public about the needs of the injured troops and empower people everywhere to take action.

In March 2010, 4TROOPS will tape a concert special at a U.S. Military base for intended airing in the summer on participating PBS stations.

4TROOPS will also embark on an U.S. Military base tour at the end of March followed by a National tour in the fall.  Upon hearing of the 4TROOPS, the Motel 6 hotel chain immediately wanted to be involved as a promotional partner and as a first step has generously donated lodging for the group throughout their U.S. Military base tour.

About MASTERWORKS: RCA Red Seal, Sony Classical, deutsche harmonia mundi, MASTERWORKS Broadway and MASTERWORKS Jazz are labels of Sony MASTERWORKS.  For email updates and information regarding RCA Red Seal, Sony Classical, deutsche harmonia mundi, MASTERWORKS Broadway and MASTERWORKS Jazz artists, promotions, tours and repertoire, please visit www.sonymasterworks.com.

For more information on 4TROOPS visit www.4TROOPSmusic.com

For more information, please contact:

Angela Barkan / Sony Music Entertainment – Masterworks

212.833.8575 / angela.barkan@sonymusic.com

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Veterans at risk for mesothelioma cancer, among other illnesses

America is proud of those who have had the courage and made the sacrifices to serve in the United States Military. Unfortunately, as we know all too well, many veterans today still deal with mental and physical disorders as a result of their military service. These diseases range from mild to extreme and some are better known than others. One example of a lesser-known ailment that veterans encounter is related to toxic exposures. During the course of all United States conflict, and even in peacetime, military servicemen and women have often been exposed to harmful substances. One of the more common toxins that still affect veterans even today is asbestos.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral with a stringy consistency. Even ancient civilizations found that asbestos possessed an exceptional capability to prevent temperature transfer and the capability to insulate. By the time WWII and the Vietnam War came around, asbestos was being used in thousands of manufacturing compounds. Among the more mainstream uses of asbestos was within military infrastructure. Asbestos was used in thousands of different products encountered every day by military servicemen and women. Asbestos could be found in naval ships and shipyards, aircraft constructions, and nearly any compound that required a resistance to heat and fire. Products such as attic and piping insulation, drywall compound, floor and ceiling tiles, air cell pipe covering, caulking, plastics, joint compound and even some brands of glue contained asbestos.

In the late 1970s, certified scientific evidence began to surface regarding the health hazards of asbestos exposure. Asbestos fibers are microscopic, but extremely resilient. When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they “cling” to internal tissue [known as the mesothelium] which surrounds the lungs and abdominal cavity. Over time, these fibers irritate the mesothelium, sometimes causing plaques to form on the surface of this tissue, which often causes respiratory and other problems. Even more harmful is that these plaques can eventually become malignant. It is at this point that an individual may receive a diagnosis of the rare and aggressive cancer mesothelioma.

Unfortunately, it was not until after many naval and other military personnel were exposed to asbestos that the truth of its potential danger surfaced. Symptoms of asbestos-related illness may not manifest for 20-50 years following exposure, making the symptoms difficult to relate to asbestos exposure, which likely occurred many years before.

If you or a loved one knowingly worked with asbestos, you should closely monitor your respiratory wellbeing and consult a medical doctor that is familiar with the diagnosis and treatment of asbestos-related diseases. Early detection of asbestos health disorders can help doctors in identifying the best possible mesothelioma treatment options for you.

In terms of mesothelioma cancer and the military, the rates of mesothelioma navy cases remain the highest, but veterans from all branches are at risk.

For more information, please contact Doug Karr, Veteran Advocate & Outreach Coordinator, at dkarr [at] maacenter [dot] org.