$5 Million Air Force Band Rehearsal Building Under Scrutiny

$5 Million Air Force Band Rehearsal Building Under Scrutiny
Band Performs Hundreds Of Times A Year

POSTED: 5:03 pm PDT May 10, 2004
UPDATED: 5:14 pm PDT May 10, 2004

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- While billions of taxpayers' dollars go toward the United States military, not all of it is going to weapons of warfare and battles in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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The $5.4 million rehearsal building cost $2 million more than the new radar approach control facility being built down the street, which won't be finished for another three months.

snip..."There's a lot to get upset about. A practice facility for a band is among them," Schatz said. "It simply shows that the priorities are not what they should be at the Department of Defense."

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Inside the 25,000-square-foot facility are a variety of rehearsal rooms, including special booths, which -- at the push of a button -- let musicians practice under a variety of acoustical conditions.

more... http://www.thekcrachannel.com/news/3289974/detail.html

our troops have outdated safety equipment, etc but we can build a 5 million dollar band facility? WTF

I'm sorry, but aren't they needed in Iraq???

The Air Force flies the F-15 and F-16. The Navy has the F-14 and F/A-18. And the Marines have the F/A-18 and the Harrier. All of them have different engines, different training requirements and different parts lists. Leaving out the Harrier for a second (the Marines need that exact airplane), do we really need to maintain four different turbojet National Stock Numbers? How many $5 million band facilities could we build just by putting all three services into two airplanes?

We have three completely different military exchange systems, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, the Naval Exchange Service and the Marine Corps Exchange Command. By consolidating them into one Defense Exchange Service, we could buy at least one $5 million band facility.

By getting rid of the abominable Stryker, we could put up several $5 million band facilities. Per vehicle not bought.

And as long as you're getting pissed about the new band building, try



which is the new Army Parachute Team (Golden Knights) headquarters building. Seven million dollars.

Just ask Leni Reifensthal, filmmaker of Hitler's 'Triumph of the Will.'

MYERS HANDIWORK looks like the Photos of the naked Jews stripped and marched to the
pits at Babi-Yar to have their brains blown out by Steel Helmeted NAZI THUGS

like this one



The More Things Change the More They Remain the Same.




Amazing on how so little has changed

I can’t wait for the troop apologists to declare

“WELL THEY DIDN’T KILL HIM”

Look at the image of Terror in this MAN’S EYES on his FACE !!!

Call me biased, I have friends who perform with the USAF musical groups. The musical groups do perform a service duty by performing everywhere duty calls, even in Iraq. These are top notch professional musicians. It is a morale boost for their colleagues to hear live music in the most desolate of places. And the bands travel across the US to play in communities, and they go to school give master classes -- free of charge. So they do give something back to the community in addition to the service they provide to the country.

Isn't body armor for the troops just a little more important at this point in time?

And let's not forget the batteries for the NVG's.

Where the Air Force band can put on a show to raise money for their practice building that will get torn down otherwise, complete with the personal growth of the band leader to accept trombone players, and the sudden untimely death of a minor player.

It would be nice to have some place proper to practice.

One of the BEST in the world. How many Americans have ever even heard one? Making an issue of a piddling 5 mil for the arts in the scheme of things is nothing but a diversion.

of Military Construction projects. Each Branch of the Military always asks for more projects then can be funded in a given year. The ones not funded this year slip of into an outyear for possible funding (or sometimes never get funded).

By funding this project, the Air Force is saying that their concert band facility has a higher priority then all of the other projects that didn't get funded ....no doubt there are maintenance facilities, barracks, dining halls, test facilities and the like on the unfunded part of the list.

If we saw the list, I'm sure we'd all agree that one of two things is happening: Either their core mission suffers by their choices, or they are being given way, way, way too much money.

Military justice is to justice what military music is to music.
- Groucho Marx


http://www.musicthoughts.com/t/514

For certain musicians (saxophone and other non standard orchestra instruments) the armed forces are really the only option if you want to get paid to play (only so many university gigs). I wish this country had more civic concert bands and orchestras but unfortunately thats just not the way it is. I have a good friend in the West Point Band and he is definitely not living like a king, he is simply trying to make a living doing what he loves. If could do this without joining up and going through boot camp etc I guarantee he would have. Some of the posts in this thread are pretty ignorant suggesting that these guys only play taps etc. They are ambassadors for both the arts and for their respective services. They give back to both the troops and the community here in the States.
Scott

It is sad that musicians starve or take gigs like this to feed their families.

I live and work with them. Close friends of mine.

But the consequences of shilling for USA, Inc. are mass murder.
Here's a poignant personal experience that makes this point cogently.

One of these musicians told me of wanting to join up and go to Vietnam since his dad had gone over in WWII but his father wouldn't let him because he knew how fucked up it was.

So a friend of his who didn't want to kill anyone (strong Christian values with an emphasis on the teachings of Jesus) went over to Nam as a radio man. His friend said he thought he wasn't doing harm until he walked into a village after he had radio-ed in the air strike.

He was devastated by what he saw and realized that although he didn't have a weapon in his hands, he was complicit in the destruction and death.

That's why playing the theme songs of US fascism is like calling in the air strikes on the victims of US policies. Singing the songs of praise for the USA and its Master Race-minded population is how BushCo is getting away with the slaughter of thousands in an oil war.

Nationalist propaganda is the sweet honey that covers the bitter taste of blood.

You know who Leni Reifenstahl is, don't you? She made stunningly beautiful propaganda films for the Nazis. Think about it.

There are more important facilities required on any military base. Here at Davis-Monthan in Tucson a new base exchange is being built, and the money for that comes from AAFES. The commissary is also being
expanded, also with money the commissary makes.

The BX and the commissary are used by active duty, retirees, and members of the Guard and Reserves.

And what about housing for personnel, both single and married. This seems just a tad more important. There isn't enough barracks space here at DM for all of the enlisted stationed here, and there is never enough housing at any military base for married personnel.

I'm sure the band is an excellent concert band, but here at DM we don't have a concert hall where they could play, so that kind of
takes us out of their touring schedule.

Besides do you realize how many sets of body armor $5 million dollars could buy?

Military Officers are treated far better than the WELFARE MOTHERS who are derided by the NEOCONS--Yet the Officers are a lazy, pampered class of spoiled princes.

A young airman on food stamps is there because of poor choices in he/she made. Like getting married at 19 and popping out 2-3 kids before he/she could afford them. Don't believe me? PM me and I'll show you the numbers.

BTW, those band members ARE enlisted!

You obviously don't need them (food stamps) or the loyalty or morale of the airmen either.

Are the band members on food stamps too?

Like you say they are enlisted.

and WTF does popping out kids have to do with anything?

:hi: for political purposes???

I guess the truth is disrupting to "Military Jock Sniffers" ---(tm) A. Coulter

As an officer, I worked ten times harder, had ten times as much responsibility, and had zero time off. If I had stayed enlisted, I may have stayed in for twenty. They treat officers like slaves and I got the hell out. That's how it is in the infantry. I can't speak from experience about other branches, but your blanket statements on officers and the military are inaccurate.

The majority of REMF's are just what I say they are. Especially the lifers

- I thought you were referring to all officers. I don't have much respect for REMFs, but don't have any personal experience. I know a couple things about REMFS though:
1. They don't go to the field as much.
2. They have females in the units & they fraternize a lot.
3. There are a lot of gung ho REMFs that like to portray themselves as war heroes.
4. They have a much nicer lifestyle than the combat arms troops.
5. There's a lot of them.

- I remember one time I had an MP platoon attached to my infantry company. Young male PL and nice looking female PSG. We had a base set up in some bombed out old buildings. The MPs insisted they normallly bunk up males and females in the same room. I said no fucking way. All I needed was for my 130 grunts to see a coed dorm next door, when they haven't seen p**sy for six months. Oh man the PL argued and said he and the PSG "couldn't work together" if they were bunked in different buildings. The shithead PL even went to the BN CDR (my infantry BN CDR) asking to bunk together. Of course, the BN CDR told them to pack sand. Just one more reason I hate MPs.
- There are some good soldiers in REMF units but there is nowhere near the discipline as in the combat arms units.
- Later on , Saigon !

Thank you for your service

or 'Hail to the Chief'?

and while I'm at it, what about the music and art programs being eliminated in our schools due to budget cuts?

Sorry. :-(
I'm just a little bit beyond fed up this morning.

The military can consolidate all the freaking bands it has into just a few.

Can play Deutschland Uber Alles or Flight of the Valkeries (Hitler's favorite)

We are not Nazis or evil. Do we have some misfits and criminals? You bet we do, just like the society from which they come. Please stop the AF bashing; it's not accurate and yes, it pisses me off.

BTW it's RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES...

That's the problem. Massive deception and propaganda to cover up the massive atrocities committed by the US gov't while American children are raised from birth to believe that Americans are the MASTER RACE is the problem.

So people like you who are in the military believing you are doing good ("defending our freedoms") are really being used to support murder, torture, starvation, dictatorship.

In short, the US gov't real policies are EUGENICS FOR OIL as psychopathic 'national interest.'

THIS IS PERSONAL FOR ME because I'm the audio engineer for a prominant African-American singing group (sang at both the 2002 Democratic fundraiser in LA with Streisand and the White House Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony) who is being managed by a man who just retired from 30 years with the Air Force Symphony Orchestra. He was the production manager and had a multi-million dollar budget to fly them around the world doing propaganda.

And he's a black man who voted for Bush.* Now that's a topic for discussion!

He got former members of the USAF Symphony Orchestra to make up the band with these singers.

I've been working hard to raise the awareness of these black men who are near and dear friends of mine who have spent years playing the anthems for GLOBAL LYNCHING (which is what US policies really are) to get a paycheck. We discuss the value of surviving in a corrupt and hostile country but without harming other people. Not an easy thing to discuss, nevermind enact.

With my knowledge of US Military Atrocity as SOP, you can imagine my outrage at their performance of 'America the Beautiful' with a spoken tribute to the victims of 9/11 and "everyone who has given their lives to defend our freedom..."

NOONE HAS ACTUALLY GIVEN THEIR LIFE TO "DEFEND OUR FREEDOM" since 1945.

THAT IS THE BIG LIE TOLD TO CHILDREN TO GET MORE CANNON FODDER AND OCCUPIERS EVERY FUCKING YEAR. IT'S CALLED 'USA STATE-SPONSORED TERRORISM.'

And I'm furious with the lead singer, who is a Vietnam Vet, for peddling that crowd-pleasing propaganda that can send children to kill and be killed just so he can get a big teary-eyed round of applause. Nationalism with all it's props and theme songs makes for powerful and successful theater. That's why it is so dangerous and why a $5,000,000 building and millions more are budgeted to keep up the THEME SONGS OF FASCISM.

The fact that this band manager is a black man who voted for Bush* because of the 'strong on defense' bullshit Republicans have manufactured only goes to show how the power of propaganda can make PEOPLE SUPPORT THEIR OWN ABUSERS.

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Being a long-time musician and all...and honestly, I don't think you can put this kind of spending in the 'Evil' bucket with the rest of the arms expenditures. For God's sakes, it's just a practice facility, and as someone who has spent a good portion of his life trying to find decent practice facilities, I'm glad they are spending that money. Of course, the timing might not be so judicious, but nonetheless, let's not get too frothed up over this.

Besides, I'd rather they take the $5M and put it into practice rooms than in R&D for more lethal Gator mines (CBU-89). Make music, not war.

Mike

"Inside the 25,000-square-foot facility are a variety of rehearsal rooms, including special booths, which -- at the push of a button -- let musicians practice under a variety of acoustical conditions."

Best we got was a tiny little room overflowing with a piano and barely enough insulation to keep from hearing the person next door practicing.

Incredible.... and they continue to take money away from the arts.

is the author of the only recording I've heard of "To Tame the Perilous Skies" by David Holsinger.

"Perilous Skies" will be the music for my computer animation demo reel, provided I end up going to Full Sail in FL. It's a truly great piece of music that embodies in sound the thrill and peril of flight.