Fort Hood becomes a magnet for celebrities - Houston Chronicle

FORT HOOD, Texas — The Dog Whisperer was running late hordes of autograph-seeking soldiers had slowed his exit from an on-post food court and the soldiers of the 178th Military Police Detachment were buzzing with anticipation. Cesar Millan, whose show about training recalcitrant dogs is a cable TV cult favorite, had been at Fort Hood all week, filming an episode with Army families and visiting troops.

The Army's hardened dog handlers and trainers, many of whom were veterans of deployments to Iraq, were eager to show the TV star around their military dog facility.

"I'm a dog trainer, so Cesar is like Michael Jordan for me," said Sgt. First Class Felix Cook, a gregarious kennel master whose wife came to memorialize the afternoon with her camera. "We've had some celebrities here, but I told my wife, who I really want to meet is the Dog Whisperer."

Millan is just the latest celebrity to pass through the gates of Fort Hood. In the past few months, Kiss frontman Gene Simmons has attended a deployment ceremony as part of his reality show "Family Jewels," cast members from the FX show "Sons of Anarchy" joined a motorcycle safety ride and the crew from ABC's "Extreme Home Makeover" built a house in Salado for a soldier wounded in the Nov. 5, 2009, mass shooting at the post and arranged a dream wedding with his fianc?e. Up next is a visit from Billy Ray Cyrus and the filming of an episode of the Lifetime series "Coming Home."

Celebrities also played a role in helping the post move on from the 2009 shooting, which left 13 dead and led to a postwide mental health campaign. In the weeks and months after the massacre, celebrities such as Dana Carvey, Gary Sinise, Chamillionaire and Vince Vaughn visited troops at Fort Hood in hopes of lifting spirits. Both the WWE and Ultimate Fighting Championship have staged splashy productions at the Army post .

Army public affairs officials said they've seen an increase in Hollywood interest in the Army in recent years. Ken Hawes, the chief of the Army's Public Affairs Western Region office in Los Angeles, which serves as a liaison with Hollywood, said other posts also get regular visits. "Each of our military installations is different and has a story to tell," Hawes said. "We use these entertainment shows to tell that story. "

The Los Angeles public affairs office traces its lineage to World War II, when acclaimed Hollywood producers and directors like Frank Capra produced propaganda films for the Army that were credited with speeding training efforts. Four years before directing "It's a Wonderful Life," Capra won an Oscar for his Army documentary "Prelude to War." Today, Army officials see the association with Hollywood as a way to boost morale and increase recruiting efforts.

"It's good for the troops. It's an opportunity to see a celebrity up close and personal," Hawes said. "And Americans get to see a little bit of an Army base. It's like a foreign entity to a lot of them."

The Army offers Hollywood not just access to Army facilities, but also technical assistance, equipment help and research for filmmakers, TV producers and documentarians working on military-based projects. Army officials also ensure accuracy, making sure military-themed movies or shows avoid Rambo-style exaggeration and get the details of military life right.

But the offer of help comes with some strings: The Army first must approve scripts, and productions "must help increase public understanding of the Armed Forces and the Department of Defense" and "should help Armed Forces recruiting and retention programs," according to Defense Department policy. Army officials also review rough drafts, give advice to scriptwriters and suggest changes.

Hawes said that occasionally his office turns down requests. "If we get a script that is not a positive portrayal of the troops and the filmmaker is adamant in not working with us," they pass, he said. "We're not going to help him tell an unfavorable story about the troops."

When it came to the "Dog Whisperer" episode, Army officials saw an opportunity to highlight Army families in a positive way. Throughout the week, Millan worked with a border collie mix named Patches, who was afraid of Army uniforms. And at the military dog training facility, he met dogs suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and the soldiers who bonded with them while at war. A s three-man film crew trailed behind, capturing the moments for the American public.

Millan said he was happy to help soldiers and their families take better control of their pets.

"It's an honor to help people who helped me to live in this country," said Millan, who was born in Mexico. "To me, it's just something I want to do."

"It's good for the Army," Fort Hood spokesman Chris Haug said. "It's personable. It touches the heart."

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Information from: Austin American-Statesman, http://www.statesman.com

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