"Give it up for 15 Wing Moose Jaw!"

Those words from Canadian country star Gord Bamford finished off what was a thrilling moment Sunday evening for several members of the military based at 15 Wing, just south of Moose Jaw. 

Bamford, along with Jim Cuddy, performed their new song "Ain't It Grand" during the Canadian Country Music Association Awards show, broadcast nationally by CBC, from SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon. 

The song pays tribute to life in Canada, with references to the Toronto Blue Jays, Trans Canada highway and it includes the line "we live and die for what we believe."

It was at that point over a dozen 15 Wing personnel took the stage behind the singers. 

Captain Sharp (front right) walks the green carpet Sunday (photo courtesy: CCMA/Grant Martin photography)

"I couldn't help but smile because it was so overwhelmingly awesome," said Captain Melissa Sharp,one of the lucky participants.

Sharp said the invitation came a few weeks ago, but they didn't know the full extent to which they'd be involved until much closer to showtime. 

"It didn't seem real at first," she stated. "I thought we'd just be sitting in the crowd in our uniforms and sticking out like sore thumbs. Going on stage was pretty surreal."

"We were to walk up on the stage and meet in the middle," Sharp recalled about nervously waiting for the big moment. "At the end of the song they gave a shout out to us and we waved to the crowd, hung out for a few seconds to take it all in, then exited stage right."

Sharp says the response from the crowd made her even more proud to serve her country. 

"I can barely even put it into words what it felt like to have everybody cheering and applauding," she gushed. "It was amazing."