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Legends of Funk tour where legend continues

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Mareshah Haynes
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs office
BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq --  Three funk bands toured Air Force and Army assets at Balad Air Base/Logistics Support Area Anaconda May 31-June 1 to get a better understanding of the mission of deployed servicemembers and life in a combat zone, before holding a concert here June 1.

The Legends of Funk, a 14-member group consisting of three separate bands, the Barkays, Con Funk Shun and the Dazz Band, visited with today's Tuskegee Airmen, assigned to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing. The wing's motto is 'The Legend Continues' in reference to the 332nd Fighter Group Tuskegee Airmen of World War II. Joining the funk legends and the legend of the Tuskegee heritage proved to be a melding of military and musical talents.

"We are absolutely loving touring here in Iraq," said Michael Cooper, lead singer, guitarist and founding member of the band Con Funk Shun.

The band members spent 11 days touring and performing four different bases in Southwest Asia, including Balad AB.

The Legends met with Airmen at the Air Force Theater Hospital and Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility where they had a chance to learn about the care given to wounded warriors by the medical staff.

The band also stopped in the Warrior's Lounge, an area inside the CASF where wounded and ill servicemembers can relax, make phone calls or access the Internet, before flying to Germany for continued care. There, the Legends signed autographs and the Hero's Wall inside the lounge.

Though the Legends of Funk bands, who have a combined 105 years music history, got their start in the late '60s and early '70s, before many servicemembers were born, their musical talents weren't lost on younger ears.

"I had no clue as to what songs they sang," said Staff Sgt. Ebony Besteda, 332nd Expeditionary Aeromedical Operations Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of medical logistics for the CASF, who is a Reservist deployed from Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. "I nudged one of them and asked, 'Do you all sing "We Got the Funk?" He laughed and said, 'No.' I said, 'Well you all were before my time.' He laughed again and began to sing,..."In The Spirit of Love..." I yelled quietly, 'I know that song!' I must have been 5 or 6, yet I remember it."

After touring the hospital, the 'funkdafied' gentlemen visited the 332nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron to see first-hand F-16 aircraft that allow the Air Force to precisely engage enemy targets and provide close air support to coalition forces ground units.

"From what I've seen while I've been over here, there are a lot of positive things going on over here," said James Alexander, founding member of the Barkays. "The Armed Forces are over here are taking care of people and letting people realize their human rights."

The Legends were able to see the Fighting Falcon in a way a lot of civilians don't get the opportunity to do. The men were able to talk one-on-one with the pilots who fly the planes on a daily basis and ask about the aircraft and their missions.

Their time in Iraq was short, so the tour gave the Legends just a tidbit of what life is like in the combat zone, but it was long enough for them to realize how much morale boosting visits and shows, such as theirs, are appreciated by members of all branches of the military.

"One of the most moving moments that I've had was at one of the camps after a show when we were signing autographs," said Larry Dodson lead singer and founding member of the Barkays. "This kid came up to me and said, 'After this concert, I can get through six more months.' That's what we came here for -- to get greater insight and a first-hand view of what's going on."

The Band members weren't the only ones positively affected by the tour and concert.

"It was an outstanding show," said Tech. Sgt. Robert West, 557th RED HORSE Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of supply who is deployed from Hurlburt Field, Fla. "Honestly, it made me forget where I was for a minute and I was just having a good time. When they were telling us thanks for what we do and how proud they were of us, they really sounded genuine. I think they really meant it."