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AFCENT Sirocco Band entertains troops at Manas

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Olufemi Owolabi
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, Kyrgyzstan --  The Air Force Central Command Band, Sirocco, performed for the men and women of the 376th Expeditionary Wing at the Transit Center at Manas Nov. 15, as part of the band's ongoing tour of Kyrgyzstan.

The band arrived at the Transit Center Nov. 12, and performed in various cities, schools and universities across Kyrgyzstan. The show at the Transit Center was the fourth of the band's non-stop performances in the country, which is scheduled to be completed Nov. 18.

"I have really enjoyed all our shows so far on our visit to the Transit Center," said Staff Sgt. Christine, Sirocco Band vocalist who has been singing since she was six years old. "Every morning I feel honored and privileged to be here. This week has been a lot of fun and a wonderful experience."

The show, held at Pete's Place, was packed with members from all over the Transit Center, and they all had a good time listening to the Sirocco Band songs, a rendition of a wide variety of music from rock to oldies and pop.

During the show, some of the members of the audience even got a chance to entertain the crowd when they came out dancing. Some of them line-danced to the tunes and melodies, while others did break dancing and the robot.

"The show was fantastic," said Staff Sgt. Chae Pak, 376th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron. "They played a lot of different types of good songs from different generations."
Sergeant Pak was one of the audience members that showcased his dancing skills to the audience.

At first when Sergeant Pak was invited to the stage by the Sirocco vocalist, he was hesitant to dance in front of a crowd. But the crowd wouldn't let the sergeant decline the offer without a fight. With the support of the crowd, members of the 376th ECES and his friends giving him a boost of confidence by cheering him on, he changed his mind.

"I couldn't let them down and be 'that guy' that would bring the morale down," Sergeant Pak said, after dancing. "I'm a team player, so I just went with the flow. I do not remember the song that was playing, but it was a song with a good beat. I think that bringing more shows here to support our troops is the best thing for morale."

"The band is definitely a good morale booster for the troops," the sergeant added. "What makes it even better is that the band is made up of active-duty military members. It (the show) definitely gives us something to look forward to and gives us a chance to hang out with friends, co-workers, and 'family' in a great environment."

After the performance at Manas, the band rolled out the following day to perform their next show in Bishkek at the Palace of Sport, where the audience of different age groups also said they had a good time.

Sirocco Band members are deployed from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, and the team is part of the Air Force's community relations program, which brings entertainment to different parts of the AOR, and at the same time boosting morale to deployed members.