Sarah Hopkins won $500 as first-place winner of the Operation Rising Star competition at Fort Eustis, Va., Nov. 1, 2013. The rules of the event are similar to television shows such as “American Idol” and “The Voice,” in which 50 percent of the contestants’ outcome comes from audience response, and the other half comes from the judges' decisions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ashley Hawkins/Released)