It was a hot, muggy night as Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) gathered in the hangar bay. It did not take long for their smiling faces to gleam in sweat, as they waited to watch their fellow shipmates take the stage, perform and see who had the most talent.

Sailors competed in a variety of performances featuring dance, a magic show, freestyle poetry and singing in a competition dubbed "GHWB's Got Talent," May 5.

"I love getting involved in fun events like this," said Senior Chief Navy Counselor Kim Lewis, the master of ceremonies for GHWB's Got Talent. "It's good for the Sailors to take a break from their hard work, watch a few performances by their peers and have fun."

The event featured eight contestants, four judges, a master of ceremonies and is loosely based on the reality show "America's Got Talent."

"This competition began about a month ago with 21 Sailors," said Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class Christopher Gilbreath, the president of the Sailors for the Performing Arts (SFPA). "They were all very talented, and it was a long and tough process to break down that number to the final eight that competed in the finale."

To encourage Sailors to share their talents in an event to boost morale, GHWB's Got Talent was organized by the GHWB's Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) team, SFPA, the First Class Petty Officer Association (FCPOA), the Junior Enlisted Association (JEA) and the Coalition of Sailor Against Destructive Decisions (CSADD).

"We've been at sea for quite a while and for some of us, it's the first deployment," said Gilbreath. "I'm glad this command supports our efforts to keep Sailors' spirits high."

The competition began with a dance performance by the "Black Pinos", a group of four Sailors from supply department, followed by a vocal and guitar performance by Electronics Technician (Nuclear) 2nd Class Jan Russell, a spoken-word poem by Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) British Malone and a saxophone and vocal performance by Chief Air Traffic Controller Marcus Wilcox, who dedicated his performance to his wife.

"I thought that was really sweet of Chief Wilcox to write a song for his wife," said Operations Specialist 3rd Class Taylor Brickles. "I just stopped by to see how this show was and I loved every minute of it."

Rounding out the contestants were vocalist and guitarist Hull Technician 2nd Class Dwight Tyson, magician Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Daniel Contreras, a vocal performance by Logistics Specialist 1st Class James Mardis and Logistics Specialist 3rd Class Christopher Rost, and an parody of Don McClean's "American Pie" by Naval Air Crewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class Zach Bradow.

"It must have been tough for the judges to pick a winner," said
Machinist's Mate 3rd Class Michael Taylor. "I had my favorites, but it was hard not to enjoy yourself, which was the point."

The step-dance team known as "77 Siders", representing the Sailors for the Performing Arts (SFPA), performed a step and stomp routine as the judges deliberated.

Before announcing the winners, there was a surprise for the contestants and the audience; the top three performers would receive a cash prize. After coming to a consensus, the judges awarded Malone third place, Contreras second place, and the "Black Pinos" were crowned the winners.

"I was pretty happy with the turnout tonight, despite how hot it was," said Gilbreath. "This was one of those events that happens once every deployment, and hopefully everyone enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed setting up for it."

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