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380AEW Article

Band brings 'little bit of Texas' to Southwest Asia

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Denise Johnson
  • 380th AEW Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  King Cone and the Tailgate Philharmonic visited the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing here Aug. 13 to "bring a little bit of Texas" to deployed members.
King said he volunteered more than a year ago to support the Armed Forces Entertainment's efforts to bring entertainment to deployed military members.
Although the decision to apply to Armed Forces Entertainment was sporadic, King Cone said there are no regrets. "I was outside a bar in Dallas and I saw an ad in a local paper, I thought, 'That sounds exciting,' so I sent them a press kit. They (AFE) sent me a letter back stating we were accepted and they'd get in touch if someone needs us."
King, lead vocalist and songwriter, said it was nearly a year before he received a call from the Pentagon. "I got a call out of the blue explaining a tour opened up in Southwest Asia. I asked, 'Where's that?' The caller said it was in Iraq and surrounding areas." The singer didn't hesitate to reply, "Sign me up."
He and his group are in Southwest Asia for nearly a month-long tour. The 380th AEW is the sixth stop for what has become a journey of enlightenment for the members of the band. "For me personally, I am never going to have any other way to be a part of the efforts here. I'm not a military guy; I'm not the biggest, strongest guy, even if I wanted to be; it's our tiny way to do something," said Trevor Meek. The sound engineer, out of Bridgeport, Texas, left his everyday life behind - including his business - to be a part of this tour.
The band members said they've learned a lot about the military, its members and the mission. The 380th AEW hosted a tour for the group including their first ride in a chase car for a U-2 landing. The group also got to attend their first real mission brief. "It's incredible what everyone over here is doing," said Jeff Wallace, bass player, from Longview, Texas. "It really puts a face of reality on what's going on."
The bass player recalled an early morning ceremony he and the group attended in Afghanistan for a fallen soldier. "That left an impression," he said solemnly.
The group attended that ceremony and also had lunch with an injured military member. "We sat across from an injured military member who told us he and his unit were hit by an IED - it made me humble," remarked Paul Piper, drummer. Mr. Piper left a family back in Mesquite, Texas, for the duration of his trip. He said he has gained valuable insight from his experiences here. "I'll definitely have a different way of seeing things in the news now; we've seen it for real and we can place people in the action."
King said he has also felt the personal aspects of his trip, "If anything changed in the way I look at it, it's a more personal view of the war; there's faces now on my war - before it was just a television. These are our American brothers and sisters fighting for us," he continued. "It definitely changes your opinion on how some things are portrayed in the media."
Though King said he suffered a brief scare during a ride on a Blackhawk helicopter, he and his band mates have felt nothing but safe since. "I'm more scared facing traffic in Houston than when I'm getting escorted by the strongest military in the world," he laughed. "I don't think the folks here realize that we (Americans) don't take you guys for granted. We appreciate all the help and the security you provide and the fact we can do anything we want at home because you guys are over here taking care of us."
Mr. Wallace echoed his sentiments, "We've felt very safe. It's easy to forget when you're at home, easy to get back on the golf course and go about your life - but a lot of people came over here and actually did something."
The band can now add their names to the list of those who've been to Southwest Asia, they too came here and contributed something. "I hope we made some people happy, we just took about two hours out of our lives and tried to make 'em smile, bring 'em a little piece of Texas and home," King said.
The band's visit seems to be a win-win event for both the group and the audience. "What a great group. These guys took time out of their lives to come here and support us." said Tech. Sgt Rose Condello, marketing director for the 380th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron. "That says so much in itself about them. To me, they kind of represent the folks back home who can't make it but are supporting us in spirit."
The band left the stage to applause and appreciative looks, but King said it's supposed to be the other way around. "Not everyone gets to do this; your local band doesn't get to travel the world and go to the Middle East - especially when there's a war going on - and pay the troops back," he said. "It's funny because when we get off the plane on arrival at a new place or when we leave after we play, everyone comes up and says thank you. I feel like we should be the ones thanking ya'll - it's an honor for us to be here playing."
The five-man group took the opportunity to learn from military members serving in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom; they learned to appreciate the mission and the people behind it in a new way. Judging by the looks of the audience and the rounds of applause, they accomplished their mission as well.