In this image released by the Texas Military Forces, thousands gather to watch the Armed Forces Appreciation Day welcome ceremony at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in Houston, Texas, March 2, 2011. After a multi-service color guard marched in front of the stage, Army Staff Sgt. Tracy Labreque, of the U.S. Army Field Band, Fort Meade, Md., sang the National Anthem to honor the current and past service members. Of the 3,000 service members in attendance, more than 1,100 soldiers and their family members were brought in by bus from Fort Hood, Texas. In addition to free admission to the park with a military ID, all former and current service-members and their families were treated to a barbecue luncheon, a welcoming ceremony complete with Air Force flyover and seats for the Trace Adkins concert later that night.