Langley Winds spread holiday cheer

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Cassandra Locke
  • 43rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (AFPN) --  Wearing battle dress uniforms with red Santa hats on, the Langley Winds from the Heritage of America Band spread holiday cheer Dec. 13 to Pope Air Force Base members.

The band from Langley AFB, Va., toured around the base and sang songs such as "Jingles Bells," "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," "Silent Night" and "Let it Snow."

When caroling through the wing headquarters building, the base commander and his staff were very appreciative of the band's time.

"The day started out pretty stressful, but you have uplifted my spirits," said Col. Timothy Zadalis, the 43rd Airlift Wing commander.

"It's nice to know you've brightened someone's day," said Senior Airman Jeffrey Boehmer, a Langley Wings clarinet player.
 
During the caroling tour, the tour guides were informed about an Airman Leadership School graduation that was currently taking place. The band ended up crashing the graduation and the surprise was appreciated by the staff, graduates and family members.

"It's very rewarding to see the crowd's reaction when performing," said Senior Airman Grace Hontoon, a Langley Wings oboe player.

The group visited various buildings to include the Airman and Family Readiness Center, 43rd Medical Group, 43rd Operations Group, 43rd Mission Support Group, 43rd Maintenance Group and the 18th Air Support Operations Group.

Each year, the band's ensembles travel more than 30,000 miles to perform 340 concerts for a half million listeners across a seven-state region from Pennsylvania to South Carolina. 

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