'Mind of Mencia' entertains troops in Middle East

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Phillip Butterfield
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing public affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) --  American servicemembers were treated to a United Service Organizations show where they were exposed to the "Mind of Mencia" Nov. 28 in Southwest Asia. 

Comedians Carlos Mencia, who stars in the Comedy Central show "Mind of Mencia," and Brad Williams entertained more than 600 servicemembers with two shows.

Mr. Mencia is familiar with the hardships servicemembers endure. Having five cousins in the Marine Corps, performing for servicemembers is nothing new. 

"After shows, I meet with servicemembers and there's always some kind of cool sentiment from them to me," Mr. Mencia said. "I find it a little embarrassing. People are out here making the ultimate sacrifice and they're looking at me like, 'Thank you for what you're doing' and I just think, 'Hey, I tell jokes. What you do is on another level.'"

Mr. Mencia has wanted to come out to the Middle East for a while, but problems with content restrictions had put a damper on things. This was his first show in the Middle East, and he said he has plans to return once a year.

"I was thinking if I can't put on the show these guys want me to do, it might bum them out morale wise, and that's something I don't want to do," he said. "I wanted them to feel good about what they're doing and I wanted this to be a positive experience for them."

Coming to the Middle East to see servicemembers was an eye opening experience for Mr. Menica.

"Unless you see it, you don't know. It's going to be a time to touch on the realness; the humanity of things," Mr. Mencia said. "The media refers to you as 'troops' and when they do that it makes everything benign. But when you see faces, you start thinking differently. You just want to see the truth and make your own decisions."

Above all, Mr. Mencia wanted to show servicememmbers a good time.

"It's all about making them laugh," Mr. Mencia said. "I want servicemembers to remember that they're out here for a good reason."

Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link)

View the comments/letters page