St. Louis-based Air Force Band tunes up for second overseas deployment

Members of Sidewinder, the rock band element of the 571st Air Force Band, based in St. Louis, practice in preparation for a 45-day overseas deployment to the Middle East beginning in July.

By Bill Phelan
Ngmo.pao@US.ARMY.MIL

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - An element of the 571st Air Force Band, based at Lambert Airport in St. Louis, is preparing for an overseas deployment for only the second time in Air National Guard history.

Ten Airmen of the 35-member band that make up a rock and roll group called Sidewinder will leave in mid July for a 45-day deployment to the Middle East, where they will entertain troops and civilians in several countries.

Sidewinder deployed to Chile, Africa, and the Middle East in 2006, which was the first overseas deployment of an Air National Guard band in the 64-year history of the organization.

In preparation for their latest deployment, band members spent March 5 under the scrutiny of Col. Patrick M. Jones, chief of Air National Guard Bands and master of music education at Boston University College of Fine Arts. Jones' job is to assess the mission readiness of the band.

"I will listen to the band and provide them with some feedback about what kind of music they are playing and focusing on troop entertainment," Jones explained. "The performance has to be high-impact and relate to the troops they are entertaining."

Master Sgt. Brian House, of O'Fallon, Sidewinder trumpet player and a 28-year member of the 571st, said the band must meet any mission requirements that might pop up.

"Anything could be thrown at us," House said. "We might be playing until 2 a.m. Sunday morning and then be told we're playing at a church that same morning. So Col. Jones is making sure we can meet any mission requirement and from that standpoint we hope to impress him."

After listening to Sidewinder work its way through a rousing version of "So What" by Pink, Jones explains that the band's performances while deployed are "not just a concert."

"These are deployed troops and they have depression, they are lonely, they miss home and maybe they lost a buddy," Jones said. "To go into an atmosphere like that can be very humbling so the band has to really engage the troops. When we deploy a band for troop entertainment, it's 100-percent about morale."

In addition to performing for the troops, band members might also be called upon to entertain civilians or dignitaries.

"Many of our performances are hastily prepared," said Chief Master Sgt. Roger Mason, the enlisted program manager for Air National Guard Bands. "In one instance we had 400 people waiting to get a malaria shot so we brought the band out and set up on the spot and played for them. We've also played at embassies and for people waiting in line for food."

Mason said it is not uncommon for the deployed band to have two or more performances in one day.

The 571st Air Force Band, also known as Band of the Central States, is one of 11 regional Air National Guard bands in the country and is part of the 131st Bomb Wing, headquartered at Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster, Mo.

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please call 1-800-GoGuard or visit www.moguard.com.