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Travis Band Airman experiences deployment with less than one year in service

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Chyenne A. Adams
  • USAFCENT Public Affairs
AZRAQ, Jordan --  "I'm a singer in a rock band," is an answer that a large amount of the population would love to give in response to what they do for a living. For Airman 1st Class Megan Hokaj, that fantasy - and many others, is a reality.

This 25 year old has traveled through six countries in the last three months, performed more shows than the group can keep track of, and experienced things she never dreamed possible - all with less than one year in the United States Air Force.

Airman Hokaj is a "military brat," with a former Navy fighter pilot for a father, and an uncle still serving as an Air Force fighter pilot. That life had her living in Jacksonville and Pensacola, Fla. until 10, when her family moved to Michigan and then Pittsburgh.

"When I was a kid I always loved singing, my whole family loves music, my father and grandfather are both naturally good singers...," said Airman Hokaj. "My mom has pictures of me at 3 years old singing... and my first solo performance was in 4th grade as Calamity Jane in a play at school."

She started taking piano lessons, and learned how to play the flute and piccolo; all while performing in various plays and musicals at school, and singing in her church choirs.

Joining the military was never really considered when she graduated high school, so she went on to attend West Chester University, Penn. where she graduated in May 2008. She had a professor at school that told her about the opportunities available in military bands though, and that stuck in her head.

She went on to become a middle school music teacher in the West Chester School district for the next year and a half while she researched military bands on the internet and then began sending in audition tapes.

"I researched the Navy, Army, Air Force...," she said. "The biggest thing was that I just kept looking. I figured if I was suited for it, I would get the opportunity."

And she did - with a call to audition for Galaxy, a U.S. Air Force band out of Travis Air Force Base, Cal. She flew out to California to audition in person on Oct. 30, 2009.

"The drummer (for the band) picked me up from the airport and here I was taking a ride from a total stranger, staying alone at base lodging," she said. "The next morning I remember stopping at Starbucks and getting a honey-bran oatmeal muffin that I didn't eat because I was so nervous. I had to sing five very different songs - one classical, a showtune, and pop tunes with the band. I'd never sang with an actual live rock band before! I had to sing songs that they picked for me and I just put my heart into it."

According to Master Sgt. Mike Williams, the NCOIC and keyboardist for Galaxy, there are usually quite a few submissions for bands, but they had to narrow it down to two live auditions.

"She did great and it was an easy choice to hire her," he said. "Not only is she a good singer, but her versatility and personality fit the job so well. She is really inviting and draws the audience into the show."

With that life-changing decision made, Airman Hokaj put boots on ground at basic training on Jan. 26, 2010.

"You know how everyone tells you to just try and be inconspicuous and hide in the back?" she said with a smile. "Well, the very first day we were forming up, the only spot was in the very front corner. Immediately the (military training instructor) started yelling and asking me if I was a good leader. He said I was his first element leader - I didn't even know what that meant! I found out very soon that it means you get yelled at for everyone else's stuff."

Airman Hokaj was also singled out to play in the band flight during graduation.

"They ask the flights 'if anyone has ever played a musical instrument in their whole entire life, come here - you're in band flight to play at graduation!'," she said. "Also, my M.T.I. knew I was going into band, so he would stop the flight and make me randomly sing whenever. It was definitely an experience!"

After graduating from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, she drove to California to her first duty station of Travis.

"I'd never driven past Ohio, but I drove with my aunt all the way from Pennsylvania to California," she recalled. "I show up at my first base really nervous, but everyone was so welcoming. At this point I'd already been told we'd be deploying but I had no idea about all the training that would entail."

She'd been on the base "for about five minutes" on April 13 when they asked her what songs she wanted to sing so they could start putting together set lists for the deployment.

"It was really overwhelming - I'd never sung in a rock band before. I'd come from singing in choirs and teaching kids," she said. "Poof, you're a rock star - pick some of these songs."

She immediately inprocessed, so that she could turn around and outprocess - for Combat Airman Skills Training, which the band attended together in July.

"I got the nickname 'Band Camp' from all my awesome roommates there, of course," she laughs. "And that's where I really started learning that there's so many different jobs I didn't even know about that people do in the Air Force. People in the military have lots of different stories and backgrounds - it's just amazing."

By Aug. 19, Airman Hokaj was on her first overseas flight to her first deployment - Al Udeid Air Base.

"I was just so excited, telling everyone on the plane that it was my first deployment," she said. "I couldn't help but be excited."

Before she could even blink, the group was on their way to performances across the area of responsibility - Kyrgyzstan, Iraq, Oman, Afghanistan, Jordan, Qatar - six countries in three months.

"I feel like I've accomplished a lot on this deployment, definitely a couple of years worth of traveling squeezed into a couple of months," she said. "Actually getting to see the people who live in all these different places, learn about their cultures and see how music can be universal no matter where we've gone is really amazing.

"It's also really cool to see how the band has evolved from the very beginning of learning tunes and looking at charts to where we are now. It's like when a train first gets going and it's a little rickety on the rails and has to build momentum to get moving; but now it's smooth and rhythmic and we don't even have to really talk about it.

We play well together and have a lot of fun. Everyone has really good, positive attitudes - even when we've been in crappy situations where we've been up for 24+ hours or waiting for days in a passenger terminal needing to get to the next place... when you start getting cranky, we help each other maintain a jolly outlook."

The singer is really looking forward to heading home and being with her family for the holidays and singing holiday concerts. But she's also very sad to leave this unique lifestyle.

"Every performance comes with a different audience, and set of reactions. Maybe we pass out the cowbell to a member of the audience to play, or we pull someone up on stage. The fast-paced, day-to-day wonder of what's going to come next is just invigorating. I'm used to thinking months ahead, but in this capacity it's so fast-paced you can only hope to plan a few days ahead."

The seven-person group has a saying - "Bill Gates couldn't buy this!"

"I would've never had the opportunity to do this without the Air Force. When I joined, I never thought I'd get to see the things I've seen, do the things I've done. I celebrated my 25th birthday performing with the Afghan National Army Band - I'll never forget that."

As much as she'll miss the lifestyle, the lifestyle will miss her.

"I think she has done excellent at both the musical, as well as the general interaction with the audience," said Sergeant Williams. "Her greatest asset is her attitude and how she interacts with people both on and off the stage. She brings an energy to the performances that is invaluable. For someone who's been in for such a short period of time, you'd never know it from how she does her job."

All that, and Airman Hokaj hasn't even celebrated her first year in the Air Force.