Private 1st Class Josh Turner is filmed by MTV field producer Christopher Velona during annual training at Camp Ripley, Minn., July 23, 2007. (Georgia National Guard photo by Spc. Adam Dean)

'PFC to marry on MTV'

CAMP RIPLEY, Minn. – In addition to the common tasks and skills taught at annual training, one Georgia Army National Guardsman from Rome ’s Troop A, 108th Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition Squadron is receiving an extra block of instruction in media relations this summer.

Private 1st Class Josh Turner, now affectionately known as “Hollywood” by his fellow scouts, has a date with destiny at 5 P.M. on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2008, when he will be married at Times Square in New York City during a live broadcast on the MTV network.

“Of course I’m excited,” said Turner. “How many people get to get married on live TV in Times Square ?”

Turner, 19, and his fiancée, Brittany Nicole “Nikki” Bryant, 18, will be featured in an episode of “Engaged and Underaged,” a series that documents young couples in the weeks leading up to their nuptials.

To this end, MTV sent a film crew to the deep woods of Camp Ripley , Minn. , to follow Turner as he trained with his comrades, and to get a look at a day in the life of a Soldier.

“The show is focused on Josh and Nikki, and we’re here to document what he’s going through as the big day approaches,” said Lucy Lesser, a field producer with MTV.

MTV’s involvement began Iindirectly,, said Turner,  when a “trojan” (malware or virus) infected Bryant’s computer, and he attempted to retrieve what files he could. Among those files, he found a letter that Bryant had composed telling the story of their relationship and their plans to wed.

“I asked Nikki what it was and why she wrote it and she told me that she had been thinking about sending it to MTV. When I read it over I thought it was good, and she edited and sent it in. Not too long after that Nikki got a call from the producer and told me they offered to pay for our wedding,” said Turner.

While some may be skeptical about a union between two who are so young, Turner is enthusiastic about what he said will be an important, memorable experience.

“We’ve been together for four years, and a lot of people in our families always said we were meant to get married,’ said Turner.

In addition to funding the wedding itself, Turner said that MTV had already paid for the flowers, the dress and the cake, and was going to provide transportation to the event for 20 guests.

“They also told us there will be some special surprises on the wedding day, so we’re excited,” said Turner. 

The couple, originally from Douglasville, intends to move to Carrolton after the wedding, where Bryant plans to attend the University of West Georgia .

In his civilian life, Turner is currently employed by Atlanta ’s Standard Press as an assistant printer.

Bryant, an assistant sales leader with Limited Too,  and hopes to become a labor and delivery nurse after college.

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