Page 6
Kaiserslautern American
March 4, 2022
Actress, TV host Sheryl Underwood also served in Air Force
“The Talk” co-hosts (from left) Julie Chen, Aisha Tyler, Sharon Osbourne, Sara Gilbert and Sheryl Underwood pose for a photo, July 12, 2012. Photo courtesy of Greg Hernandez
Sheryl Underwood, a comedian, entertains service members during a USO tour Dec. 23, 2009, at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Photo by Air Force Senior Airman Felicia Juenke
by David Vergun Department of Defense News Comedian and actress Sheryl Underwood enlisted in the Air Force as a field medic in 1981, after graduating from high school in Atwater, California. Basic training was at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, where she couldn’t even run a mile upon arrival. But through encouragement by her drill instructors, she was able to complete the challenging physical requirements. Subsequent duty stations included Travis AFB, California; Maxwell AFB, Alabama; Sheppard AFB, Texas; and, Castle AFB, California. Later, she moved to Chicago and joined the O’Hare Air Reserve Station, an Air Force Reserve unit at O’Hare Field. While there, she deployed in support of several exercises that included two Exercise Reforgers in West Germany and Team Spirit in South Korea. She first became noticed to the public as the first female finalist in 1989’s “Miller Lite Comedy Search.” Since September 2011, she has been one of the hosts on the CBS Daytime talk show “The Talk.” Also, she hosts “Sheryl Underwood Radio” which has 511 domestic and international affiliates, and “The World According to Sheryl — The Podcast of Sheryl Underwood Radio.” Underwood has had several minor acting roles, including Bad Mouth Bessie in the 1998 film “I Got the Hook Up” and Catfish Rita in the 2005 film “Beauty Shop.”
After her entertainment career was established, Underwood found time to entertain the troops through USO tours in Kuwait and Afghanistan. She also spoke at the Academy of Country
Music’s All-Star Salute to the Troops April 7, money to support the 105 historically black 2014, in Las Vegas, Nevada. “It’s an honor and colleges and universities and the students coma privilege to even be invited to something mitted to pursuing higher education. like this because, She also initiated you know, we love support for survivors our country, but we of the 2010 Haitian definitely support our earthquakes and the troops who are stand2011 tornadoes across ing up for us. And it’s the United States. not just the person in Under her leadership, the service that’s serva health center opened ing, it’s their families in 2011 for an all-girls as well,” she said. high school in Ghana, Underwood is providing health serfounder and chief vices to more than executive officer of the 2,000 students. Pack Rat Foundation Underwood, who for Education, a non- Sheryl Underwood in her Air Force recruit training was born in Little profit organization, photo at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Rock, Arkansas, Oct. where she’s raising Photo courtesy of Air Force 28, 1963, is 58.
Sheryl Underwood is with a soldier at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Dec. 12, 2007, as a part of the Sergeant Major of the Army Hope and Freedom Tour to entertain troops. Photo by Army Spc. Christopher Grammer
