The mission of The U.S. Army Field Band was dictated by General Jacob Devers in 1946: "Carry into the grassroots of our country the story of our magnificent Army, its glorious traditions and achievements, and of that great symbol of American manhood: the Ground Soldier." Carrying out that mission means traveling thousands of miles each year across the United States, playing free concerts for the American public. The Soldier-Musicians of the Army Field Band are sometimes called upon to carry out their mission in different ways. Last August, completing a two-week tour of Iraq, The Volunteers joined their fellow Soldiers in the combat zones.
The tour was a result of numerous offers by the Army Field Band to bring their music to deployed Soldiers. Finally, through a division of Army Entertainment called USA Express, it became a reality. "For years," said audio engineer Sergeant First Class John Lamirande, "Army Entertainment has been sending out a show band made up of Soldiers, but not necessarily from the Army Bands program. Lately they've been using new Soldiers from the Army School of Music, and now the Army Field Band to fill out their tours. We've got a great product, let's put it out there."
Next came training…a lot of it. When it was time to go overseas, The Volunteers flew first to Fort Benning, where they attended the Conus Replacement Center (CRC) to prepare for deployment. They were trained and retrained in marksmanship, equipment maintenance, IED detection, first aid, Middle Eastern culture, and much, much more. While they were there, The Volunteers played their first show of the tour. "Things were getting kind of tedious," remembered guitarist Sergeant First Class Tom Lindsey, "but after we played our first show, it was like a fog lifted off the place. Everyone was really cool after that. We all flew over to Iraq together, and sometimes we'd run into someone from CRC and they'd talk about that show."
An obscure, seldom-used word took on great importance for The Volunteers during the Iraq tour: "Palletization." It is the act of fitting all of your gear onto a 9' x 7' pallet, which is then loaded onto a C-130 cargo plane and shipped, along with its owners, to the next location. While in Iraq, The Volunteers traveled (and palletized) as much as they performed, and traveling in Iraq is no easy task. "We'd be standing on the tarmac, palletizing our equipment," remembers Sergeant First Class John Lake, "with full body armor and rifle, waiting for the C-130 to land. When it did, we'd 'hot-load' the plane, which means we would load our gear into it while it idled. Then we'd climb aboard and we'd be off to the next location."
Keyboards, drums, electric guitars, amplifiers, monitors, speakers, microphones, cables. Even with a set-up that was significantly trimmed back, Volunteers concerts can be a heavy affair. But the members of The Volunteers did not limit themselves to performances that could use their full concert set-up. They also took acoustic instruments for a much simpler, lighter, more mobile show. "We had our singers, a melodica [a handheld keyboard that is blown through while played], a couple of acoustic guitars, and some hand percussion," remembered Sergeant Major Kirk Kadish, keyboardist and group leader. For Sergeant Major Kadish, the acoustic shows were some of the most memorable: "Between the big shows, we played several impromptu gigs at local clinics. We just asked if we could play for whoever was in the hospital at the time. We played a lot of requests. Those interactions are the ones that stick out in my mind."
The Iraq tour was a great success, and The Volunteers were extremely thankful for the opportunity to do it. The grassroots of America remain the primary audience for the Army Field Band, but playing for the Soldiers they represent is always a great privilege, and each member of The Volunteers brought back memories from the experience. "For me," said Sergeant First Class Lake, "It was just being in the audience for the shows. At first, a lot of Soldiers might come by the show without fully understanding what it was, and they weren't always into it. But after the first couple of songs, they were all having a great time and interacting with the band. For an hour, we got to take their minds off everything they're dealing with over there. That's a good feeling."
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| "We've got a great product, let's put it out there." Sergeant First Class John Lamirande |
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