By Howard Wilkinson
The Cincinnati Enquirer

One day next week, thousands of American soldiers at a U.S. Army base in Kosovo will yell, whistle and shout when the 28 Cincinnati Ben-Gal cheerleaders take the stage at a USO show. One of them, though, will probably just sit there and smile.

Kristen Schneider, far left, performs at Paul Brown Stadium during a dress rehearsal with the Ben-Gals. (Craig Ruttle photo) | ZOOM |

Spc. Brandon Schneider of Mount Healthy has spent the past five months with the peacekeeping force in Kosovo. It has been a year since he has seen his parents, Jerry and Karen Schneider, and his younger sister, 20-year-old Kristen.

But next week, Kristen will be on that stage in Kosovo.

"Our family has felt like there has been a void in our lives since Brandon has been gone," said Kristen Schneider, a first-year Ben-Gal who studies fashion design at the University of Cincinnati. "I've wanted to see him so badly and now I'll have the chance.

"It's a miracle."

The Schneiders have been fortunate - they've been able to exchange e-mails regularly and Brandon has been calling home about twice a week.

But phone conversations and e-mails are no substitute for being face-to-face, and both Kristen and Brandon are excited about the chance.

Kristen's mother Karen holds a photo of her son Brandon, who is stationed in Kosovo. (Craig Ruttle photo) | ZOOM |

"This is a true gift from God," the 22-year-old soldier wrote in an e-mail to the Enquirer. "Not many other service members get to see a family member while on a deployment. There's no way to describe the feeling."

Kristen Schneider and her fellow cheerleaders leave Saturday for a two-week USO tour. It's the first overseas trip for the squad and includes five days in Kosovo, plus stops in Bosnia, Vienna and Budapest.

"We're making stops at several military posts in Kosovo, including his," she said. "Brandon's been told he will get a few days off, so I'm hoping we can spend some time together. I'll cherish every second of it."

Their mother, Karen Schneider, said Brandon and Kristen were only a year apart in school. The two were "always very close," she said. "Brandon was always very protective of his little sister."

Karen Schneider said her son told her that there is a possibility that he will be asked to serve as a bodyguard for the Ben-Gals troupe.

"I guess there are posters all over the base saying the Ben-Gals are coming," Karen Schneider says. (Craig Ruttle photo) | ZOOM |

"I guess there are posters all over the base saying the Ben-Gals are coming," Karen Schneider said. "Brandon tells the other guys, `Hey, stop drooling; that's my sister' and all the guys laugh."

Once they arrive, the Ben-Gals will have little time of their own. They have shows every day as they hop short flights back and forth across Central Europe, with long overseas flights at the beginning and end.

But Kristen Schneider said all of the women are looking forward to the trip.

"I think all of us feel like this is something really positive we can do," she said. "We can make the day a little better for some people who are serving their country a long way from home."

Brandon Schneider inadvertently had a part in bringing the Ben-Gals to Kosovo, his sister said.

Not long after he arrived in Kosovo, the young Army specialist was talking to a colonel in his outfit when it came up in conversation that his sister was Ben-Gal cheerleader.

"The colonel thought it would be a great idea to bring us over," Kristen Schneider said. "He started making some calls and the next thing you know, the tour was on."

E-mail hwilkinson@enquirer.com