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380AEW Article

AFCENT band boosts deployed service members' morale, strengthens international ties

  • Published
  • By Air Force Master Sgt. April Lapetoda
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  From break rooms to parking lots to two large, base-wide performances -- the U.S. Air Forces Central Command band, Systems Go, rocked Airmen and Soldiers deployed here Feb. 3 and 4, 2014.

The eight-person band, which is made up of active duty Airmen who are deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, played everything from country to R&B to rock.

"We basically provide a musical buffet for Airmen," said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jason Foster, director of operations for the AFCENT band. "We have a wide variety of Airmen with diverse backgrounds and interests in music, so we play a wide variety of music for them."

During their visit to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, the band took their instruments and vocals around the base where they performed acoustically for Airmen in a few work centers.

One of those stops included the flightline-area, where several Airmen joined in on the singing and dancing.

"Just 15 to 20 minutes to give people a mental break and a bit of a laugh during the grind of generating combat power was amazing," said Air Force Capt. Christopher Rousseau, 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron maintenance operations officer.

"You can't be in a bad mood or worse mood after the band comes by," said Foster. "They change your mood and outlook from anywhere from 10 minutes to a week. That's especially important in deployed settings."

Rousseau, who also attended both base-wide performances, agrees.

"The first night my friends and I heard the band, we all said what a wonderfully refreshing experience it was," he said. "We had a great time listening and participating, at times, with the group. They are all great performers and the best the base has seen since last year."

After their performances here, the band hit the road for their next stop: Dubai, United Arab Emirates. While there, Systems Go performed for a few hundred American, Emirati and third-country guests at the Consulate General Dubai's annual National Day event.

"The AFCENT band members are more than musicians, they're ambassadors," said Jeremy Jewett, a cultural affairs officer assigned to the U.S. Embassy in the Abu Dhabi, UAE.

"The servicemen and women on stage are professional musicians who sound good, of course, but they're more than just background music at an event like this," he said. "Their music doesn't just highlight American culture, it really sets the stage for a celebration, and hopefully the continuation, of the partnerships that link the United States with the UAE."

Foster agrees.

"Music is the international language," he said. "Even if you can't speak another country's language, music bridges the gap or connection between one person and another -- despite language or cultural barriers."

Concert-filled days and multiple stops are nothing new to the AFCENT bandsmen, who are deployed from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.

"During the last 60 to 70 days, the AFCENT band members have flown more than 12,000 miles and performed in nine countries," said Foster. They perform, not only for Airmen, but Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and deployed civilians as well.

During their deployment, the band travels throughout the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to help boost fellow deployed service members' morale, while also helping strengthen international ties.

"The bands are a great symbol that shows everyone the American government and military aren't just about hard power," said Jewett. "There's a place for arts and diplomacy in the long, but rewarding process of building friendships around the world."