Fort Hood's star attraction: Entertainers, TV shows pay visits to base - Fort Worth Star Telegram

By Jeremy Schwartz

Cox Newspapers

FORT HOOD -- The Dog Whisperer was running late -- 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 favorite, had been at Fort Hood all week, filming an episode with Army families and visiting with 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. 1st Class Felix Cook, a gregarious kennel master whose wife came along 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 fiancee.

Up next is a visit from country music star Billy Ray Cyrus and the filming of an episode of the Lifetime series Coming Home.

Ken Hawes, 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 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.

But the offer of help comes with some strings: The Army 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 a chance 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 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."

Looking for comments?

View the original article here