THE POWER OF SONG

Published April 14, 2016
By U.S. Army Spc. Travis Terreo
Air Forces Central Command Public Affairs

AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar -- As the last notes of the song fade slowly away, a cascade of clapping and cheering rolls forth from the crowd of spectators. “WE WANT MORE, WE WANT MORE” they chant until, finally, a man with a guitar and a microphone walks to the front of the stage. “So I guess you guys want more, huh?” he asks. The resounding “YEAH!” from the crowd all but drowns out the first notes of music as he strums his guitar and the band, once more, do what they do best.

The Air Forces Central Command band, Galaxy, traveled to Doha, Qatar, March 15 and performed at the Qatar Academy Sidra School, Boni Hajer campus, for more than 100 staff members and students. A room full of dancing, singing children and teachers were clapping and calling for an encore by the end of the performance.

“We have never had an outside band at the school that I know of,” said Ingrid Perie, the school’s art and music teacher. “I think this was a great opportunity for these kids. They should be exposed to all sorts of things and they just do not always get opportunities like this. They love it.”

The purpose of the band is often seen as troop morale efforts, but that is not always the case, explained Capt. Shanti Simon, AFCENT band officer in charge. The band fulfills many other functions, across the entirety of the AFCENT area of operations.

“One of the top three priorities of Lt. Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr, AFCENT commander, is developing relationships,” said Simon. “Our job definitely covers troop support, but also community outreach. We establish relationships off base, as well as on, and build a positive image of the Air Force and the United States as a whole.”

The band also performs in more formal, official environments. They traveled to Kuwait in February for the 25th anniversary of the liberation of Kuwait and put on 16 performances in seven days.

“Professionally, the band accomplished the mission to increase public support for the U.S. military presence in Kuwait for a wide variety of audiences,” said Mark J. Bosse, an information officer at the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait. “They performed for high-level Kuwaiti government and military contacts, schools, TV and radio programs, cultural centers, embassy families and U.S. military personnel aboard the USS Arlington.”

Key leader engagements are one of the most important missions the band carries out, Simon explained. Getting involved with embassy officials and functions is a way to establish relationships on a large scale, and use music to open doors that might otherwise remain closed.

“Creating positive interactions between host nation citizens, officials and U.S. military personnel strengthens our relationship with those host nations and makes it more likely we will continue to benefit militarily from bilateral cooperation,” Bosse said. “The band does an amazing job of accomplishing this task.”

In his published AFCENT priorities, Brown says, that “AFCENT will make efforts to support and advance whole-of-government approaches to regional and trans-regional issues by developing and advancing joint, interagency and cross-command partnerships and relationships.” This is a mission the band takes to heart and executes through their music on a daily basis.

“In my time here I have seen first-hand just how music can bring people together,” said Simon. “It can change a deployed service member’s day, make a room full of children clap and cheer in delight or help to break down cultural barriers. This is something I have always heard about back in the states, but it is just amazing to experience it in person.”

The power of song