Recreation & Leisure

Military Idol 2006 - Frequently Asked Questions

What is Military Idol?

Military Idol was developed as a conglomerate effort between Business Programs, Community Recreation (Army Entertainment) and the American Idol franchise to provide a competitive program for active duty military singers. 2006 marks the second season of the Military Idol franchise.

What is American Idol?

American Idol is an eliminatory singing competition developed by FOX television network. It utilizes judges to initially move contestants forward to further compete in a much more detailed mid-level competition. Twelve contestants are selected, and the television viewing audience votes weekly to eliminate one contestant per week. At the end of the competition, there remains one contestant who is named that year’s American Idol.

Is Military Idol 2006 open to only active duty military?

The program is open to active duty service members, Reserve and National Guard in all branches of service as long as they are assigned to the installation that is hosting the competition. Reserve National Guardsman will have to be activated to compete. All active duty Army can participate regardless of their duty assignment however transportation to and from the host location is at their own expense.

Can other service members compete in Military Idol?

Yes – as long as they are assigned to the hosting installation. We hope to make the program service wide in the future however we do not have that capability for the 2006 season. So if you are in another branch of service that is not at a Military Idol host location you can stop by your local Army recruiting office to find out how you can be re-assigned.

Why is the program called Military Idol if it is being programmed by the Army?

The initial negotiation for 2005 with the American Idol program is for a pilot program that will air via military outlets only. The pilot program was developed by and for Army Entertainment.

How long will my preliminary competition have to be?

We recommend an eight week competition to fully get the benefit of the event. There are sample scenarios below that will help you determine how long your local competition should be scheduled for;

Large influx of participants

25 or more contestants (determine order by lottery). Divide the applicants into 3 groups via a lottery. Select no more than 25 per week to perform their acappella round.

For example: If you had 75 applicants:

Week 1 - 25 applicants compete - Move 10 forward . . . eliminate 15
Week 2 - 25 applicants compete - Move 10 forward . . . eliminate 15
Week 3 - 25 applicants compete - Move 10 forward . . . eliminate 15
Week 4 - 10 finalists from Wk 1 - Move 5 forward . . . eliminate 5
Week 5 - 10 finalists from Wk 2 - Move 5 forward . . . eliminate 5
Week 6 - 10 finalists from Wk 3 - Move 5 forward . . . eliminate 5
Week 7 - 15 finalists from Wks 4/5/6 - Move 10 forward . . . eliminate 5
Week 8 - 10 finalists from Wk 7 - Determine the winner, 2nd & 3rd place - award prizes.

Medium influx of participants:

10 – 25 applicants (determine order by lottery).

For example if you had 18 applicants:

Week 1 - 9 applicants compete - Move 5 forward . . . eliminate 4
Week 2 - 9 applicants compete - Move 5 forward . . . eliminate 4
Week 3 - 5 finalists from Wk 1 - Move 4 forward . . . eliminate 1
Week 4 - 5 finalists from Wk 2 - Move 4 forward . . . eliminate 1
Week 5 - 8 finalists from Wk 3&4 - Move 7 forward . . . eliminate 1
Week 6 - 7 finalists from Wk 5 - Move 6 forward . . . eliminate 1
Week 7 - 6 finalists from Wk 6 - Move 5 forward . . . eliminate 1
Week 8 - 5 finalists from Wk 7 - Determine Places

Small influx of participants:

Less than 10 contestants (determine order by lottery). You will want to use your discretion to determine the number of weeks we want to host your contest.

For example if you had 8 applicants, you might only offer the contest for 5 weeks or insert some wildcard weeks to stretch the contest out.

Week 1 - 8 applicants compete - Move 7 forward . . . eliminate 1
Week 2 - 7 finalists from Wk 1 - Move 6 forward . . . eliminate 1
Week 3 - 6 finalists from Wk 2 - Move 5 forward . . . eliminate 1
Week 4 - 5 finalists from Wk 3 - Move 4 forward . . . eliminate 1
Week 5 - 4 finalists from Wk 4 - Determine Places

Is the competition open to singers only?

Yes. The competition is open only to Active Duty Military solo singers. Bands and other talented military performers will not be included in this contest.

What equipment is required?

You can utilize anything from a boom box and a microphone to whatever production values your facility allows. If you’ve watched American Idol telecast, you will have noticed that the initial competition takes place in a very pared down setting, just the three judges, a table and the performer singing acapella. In general, your level of participation will help you gauge the level of production value for your local final competition.

Where and how will the finals be conducted?

The Military Idol finals will be held at Fort Belvoir, VA on, or about 28 OCT – 6 NOV 2006. Each local contest will forward a video of their Military Idol winner from their respective installations. The videos will be judged by US Army Entertainment Division using the same judging criteria that has been used throughout the local competitions. From the videos the top 12 performers will be selected and brought to Fort Belvoir, VA via TDY orders. In addition, to the video tapes all local winners must sign a release form from their Commanding Officers authorizing them release in the case they make it to the top 12.