USAFCENT Band revitalizes the AOR with music

Published Sept. 24, 2009
By Staff Sgt. Vernon J. Cunningham
U.S. Air Forces Central Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- The U.S. Air Forces Central Band isn't old fashioned. Its concerts aren't laid back and they don't feature military standards such as "Stars and Stripes Forever" or "Four Ruffles and Flourishes."

What the band does play is songs by popular artists, including No Doubt and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and it rocks out while doing so.

Made up of Airmen from the Ohio Air National Guard's Band of the Great Lakes, "Mojave" deployed here to perform as the USAFCENT Band and bring music and morale to troops throughout the area.

Mojave takes pride in playing music that reaches all ranges of deployed and community members. In addition to traditionally popular tunes, they strategically ensure they play music to peak the interest of some of the younger personnel, said 2nd Lt. Haley Armstrong, the band's officer in charge.

The band's first performance was at the Coalition Forces Club. They were warmly received and the band had a great time performing. Mojave featured such tunes as "We're an American Band", "Freebird", "Hang on Sloopy", and other upbeat songs.

The crowd, tightly packed into the structure, danced, sang and even played along with the band.

"After all the preparation, it was nice to do something familiar and play for people," said Staff Sgt. Brian Bigelow, the band's noncommissioned officer in charge.

After this first concert, the band toured the AOR, visiting large and small bases and bringing its music to deployed servicemembers.

Lieutenant Armstrong said it didn't matter if there were 40 or 200 members in the audience, the band was still excited to play and the audiences were just as pumped up.

"Some of the smallest gigs were the most rewarding," said Staff Sgt. Nicholas Kuetemeyer, Mojave band member.

Sergeant Bigelow said he was most impressed with Mojave's ability to learn music and adapt to unique situations. On multiple occasions, the band members learned a new tune en route to a location or while on stage due to requests from the audience. They showed maximum flexibility during one performance by playing jazz, acoustic and even "The Humpty Dance," a popular hip-hop song from the 1990s.

But the band not only shared its music with the audiences, it let the audience share its music with the band. During one performance, Mojave let a member from the crowd come up and play the bass guitar on stage with them. Afterward, he was so thankful, he ran back to his quarters to get a coin for the band.

On another occasion, three servicemembers were allowed to play "Summer of '69" and, later in the tour, they allowed a colonel from the crowd to play the drums. It was his first performance in front of a live audience.

"Every gig we went to we personally interacted with the most amazing Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and coalition forces," Lieutenant Armstrong said.

Throughout their travels, Mojave got the troops excited and, using their style of newer rock and interactive performing, brought the music of the USAFCENT band to a broader array of listeners.

Proof of their successful mission was evident as the band was shocked by the flood of requests for autographs that followed most of their performances.

Staff Sgt. Michelle Pohlable, Mojave band member, said by the time they were done talking, the band members ended up being more excited about the deployed members' jobs than the deployees were about the band's job.

One tone that stuck with the band was that it did not matter what service or base they were at, everyone was so proud of their facility. The servicemembers had so much pride in their installations and their jobs in the service.

"It is humbling. We are coming here to give thanks and they were thanking us. Our job is to boost morale. But, a lot of times it was the other way around," Sergeant Pohlable said.

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