'The Price Is Right' for March Airmen

Published Aug. 21, 2009
By Master Sgt. Linda Welz
4TH AF/PA

LOS ANGELES -- U.S. service men and women from all of the military branches formed up at CBS Studios in August for the taping of an all-military audience on "The Price is Right." This episode of the popular TV game show hosted by Drew Carey is scheduled to air on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.

Twenty-one Airmen from the 452nd Air Mobility Wing, 163rd Air Refueling Wing and 4th Air Force at March Air Reserve Base, Calif., joined Airmen from Los Angeles and Edwards AFBs to form Team Air Force.

The big prize winner on the show was 2nd Lt. Brandi Hicks, chief of personnel readiness for Los Angeles AFB.

"Even if I never made it on stage, the experience was great," she said. "For me that was the icing on the cake."

When they arrived at the studios, the guests were served a Mexican-style buffet lunch by studio personnel. After lunch, they lined up according to the numbers they were given, filled out necessary paperwork and met the producer for a short screening.

Lieutenant Hicks said the producer asked her how she was.

"Outstandingly wonderful - a normal response from me, just ask," she said. "He asked me where I worked, we joked, and then he said 'Everyone else should leave because it's all about her!' I said (with a big grin) sir, now you understand. It was a fun conversation. I just never really thought it would get me picked!"

The wait to go into the studio took longer than anticipated because the Marine band and drill team were inside practicing with the crew for the taping. But, this allowed for service members to interact with one another.

"Very rarely do I get the chance to chat with our sister services," said Capt. Harvey S. Gaber, a spacecraft flight commander from Los Angeles AFB. "I took the opportunity to meet as many different people as I could. I enjoyed the sea stories from the Coast Guard and the description of the Army uniforms."

The guests were finally ushered into the studio and seated according to their service branch. After a few minutes for warm up by the announcer, Mr. Carey came out and the show began. Four names were called to "Come on down" to be the first four contestants.

"I was ecstatic to be called, but trying to guess prices is harder than it seems, especially when you are guessing for things you have no idea about," said Lieutenant Hicks. "And the wheel is as hard to spin as it seems, but I went there to have fun. If you can't have fun, what's the point?"

Tech. Sgt. Freemont Dea, NCO in charge of the immunization clinic in the Air Force Reserve's 452nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron, had fun, especially when they called his name. He jumped from his seat at the rear of the studio and made his way down to contestant's row.

"I was shocked and surprised since the odds are against me being picked," he said. "My eyes did a double take when I saw my name on the cue card. I was very excited and not acting when I got to contestant's row and pounded on the podium until I had bruises on my hands. It was fun and exciting to be on TV."

Although he didn't make it on stage, Sergeant Dea said his experience taught him that he doesn't shop enough to understand how much things cost these days.

"My first bid was over," he said. "Hence, to my demise, I made the mistake of bidding too conservatively on the next three prizes. I should have gone with higher bids at the risk of going over.

"I just wanted to win something - anything would have been fine," he said. "It didn't even have to be the grand prize. I just wanted to say that I won something on the show."

In the end Team Air Force had a lot to cheer about as one of its own won the final showcase. As Lieutenant Hicks climbed behind the wheel of her new car, all of Team Air Force flooded onto the stage to help celebrate her win and wave goodbye to the cameras. (Air Force Reserve Command News Service)

March Airmen join all-military audience on 'The Price is Right'