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AFCENT band a big hit at Manas

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Phyllis Hanson
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan --  The Air Forces Central Forces band, Sirocco, rounded out their weeklong stay at Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, putting on a show every day and never letting up until the last note of their final performance, March 21, at Pete's Place.

Sirocco started off the week playing a variety of outreach venues such as an orphanage, a few special needs schools and a music college in downtown Bishkek.

Playing outreach shows is a great way to bond with the local communities they visit; however, being able to bring the shows to the service members is a different feeling. Bringing morale to the troops is at the top of the band's list.

"We have one of the best missions in the Air Force," said Staff Sgt. Frank Gourley Jr., the trombonist for Sirocco.

"It is a mission that I really believe in. Our job is to bring the gift of music to our deployed coalition forces and host nations, and hopefully raise their morale and quality of life," said Sergeant Gourley.

The band members recently deployed to Southwest Asia from their home station with the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Band at Sembach AB, Germany.

"We're all willing to do whatever it takes and are so glad and excited to have been able to come here," said Sergeant Gourley.

Playing rock, country and jazz chart toppers for the standing-room-only crowd made the audiences cheer for more.

Some members of the crowd even got their "15 minutes of fame" by being able to join the band - showing off their various talents such as singing, playing guitar and drumming.

"At first I was nervous because I had only been able to talk with the band in passing during their week at Manas," said Staff Sgt. Eric Caudill, 22nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron.

"I wasn't sure if I would be performing with them that night or not. But about 20 minutes before they were about to start, the director came over and spoke to me about a few song choices, and that made my heart start pounding, knowing that I was going to be singing with them," said Sergeant Caudill. After I sang, I honestly couldn't wipe the smile off my face," said the sergeant who is deployed from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.

"I was truly honored to sing with the band and to be able to perform for our troops away from home. Hearing everyone sing along with you, knowing that you are bringing that little bit of home to them really makes a huge difference," he said.

Although the chosen participants were taken by surprise to be invited to perform with Sirocco, they didn't pass up the opportunity to shine - even if it was in front of a huge crowd.

"Some of my "fuels brothers" kept telling me that I should go ask to play, but I was shy about it and did not do anything at first," said Staff Sgt. Jeremy Hastings, a fuels specialist deployed with the 376th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron.

"My buddies at the table pushed it and really encouraged me and then went and talked to the sound guy, asking if I could participate," he said. "They helped pick out the songs I could do and followed up with the sound guy."

One of several hundred coalition personnel that packed Pete's Place morale center for Sirocco's final performance at Manas, Sergeant Hastings made the most of his impromptu opportunity to be a "music star" in front of his friends and colleagues, helping fuel the crowd's energy during the nearly three-hour show.

"I knew that it was going to be really cool to go up there and make music because playing drums has been a passion of mine for over 20 years," he said. "It is a big rush like no other. It was really awesome to be able to play in front of all my friends even though I was very nervous," said Sergeant Hastings, who plays drums back home in his spare time.

While the band will remember a great journey that took them across the Kyrgyzstan countryside, making friends along the way, their music will also continue to ring in the ears of those in uniform who heard their songs too.

"I loved the show," said Sergeant Hastings. "They were all so multitalented and played such a variety of music with an awesome stage performance," said the Alabama Air National Guardsman deployed from the 187th Fighter Wing at Dannelley Field in Montgomery.

"My hat is off to them."