Any military members here in military bands?

[Simba's Mom]

DS just informed me that he's trying out for 2-the General Pershing Army band in Washington DC, and an Air Force band (I confess I don't know which one). Apparently he'd still have to go through basic training, but then he'd go directly to the band(?). Please tell this uninformed Mom about it. Right now he's a musician on a cruise ship in Europe, so our communication about this thing is very limited.

 

[lovemygoofy]

Here is some general information about serving with the US Army Band not specifically Pershings, which is one of the premier bands in the army.

http://bands.army.mil/careers/faq/

I don't specifically know anyone serving in Pershing's Own right now but your son needs to understand if he enlists in the service he can still deploy. He would still move around the country/world and will be held to standards of the army.

Good luck to him if that is what he really wants to do.

In addition to basic training, he would do another like 3 months in Norfolk(or used to be Norfolk) for Advanced Training(AIT).

Has he talked to a recruiter about this or how did he find this information? I would be quite leary of someone saying he can just up and joing Pershing's Own. Here is their website. http://www.usarmyband.com/jobs/vacancies.html

Hopefully someone else will be of more help for you. Good luck to your son.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Oh, no-I'm sorry if I gave the impression that he was told to just sign up and be in the band. To the best of my knowledge, the service recruiter isn't involved. He's presently involved in a 2-step audition process with the Air Force. He had to send in a CD and from there some applicants make the second "round" where they're invited to come in and audition on-site. He did this a few years ago at an air force base in Colorado, made the second round, but another applicant got the position. I know that for General Pershing's band, the Army, he already has his flight info for the second round, where he auditions with the entire band. It's just that it sounds good from what he's read-we were just wondering if anyone has any first-hand experience.

 

[lilmrsellis]

A guy I went to school with is in the Army band. You do BCT just like everyone else, but then your job is in the band. You do A LOT of traveling, sometimes (but not generally) to combat zones. Any Army job has risks, no matter how safe it may seem, but it should be mostly safe.

 

[esk]

Air Force Bands go to Afghanistan, but only for a few weeks at a time. They are gone A LOT....on the road all the time. And that's the only job they do...be in the band. There is a band at my base and some of them went to Julliard, some have Master's Degrees in Music, but they never make officer rank.

If you are in the band, you are enlisted.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

Air Force Bands go to Afghanistan, but only for a few weeks at a time. They are gone A LOT....on the road all the time. And that's the only job they do...be in the band. There is a band at my base and some of them went to Julliard, some have Master's Degrees in Music, but they never make officer rank.

If you are in the band, you are enlisted.

I'm pretty sure that is not true. There are members of the band at Benning that are Officers or at the very least NCO's. Based on the link that Tina posted, they can go to Afghanistan for 1 to 15 months.

 

[esk]

Read my post again.

I said Air Force band members. Don't know about Army.

And I should clarify; if you are IN the band, you are enlisted, which includes NCOs. If you are WITH the band, you may be an officer --- that means their Commander, the PA officer and possibly another one or two. But if you are playing or singing, you are enlisted.

I'm a Human Resources officer, so I'm familiar with the rank breakdowns of various specialties.