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Air Force Band - Bass Opening

#21
DirtPoorRobins said:
Hi guys, I don't mean to discredit what KillerQuebec said by any means, but I probably will anyways. There is a 0% chance that you will ever get any kind of "other duty" if you are enlisted as a musician.
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False.

Only the "special" band programs are exempt and even with that the pentagon can change policy any time they want. If you enlist in any non special band program, you can easily find yourself doing non-music duty.

I spent 3 years in the army field band in Ft Meade MD, a special band unit so I know what I'm talking about.
 
#22
I think this is probably a great opportunity...I have a friend who plays guitar in one of the Army bands and loves it. I appreciate the recruiter trying to squash misinformation, and I don't want to add to that misinformation. I was in the the Army briefly in the mid 70s (that's another story....) but truly, I don't have an ax to grind.

I would caution anyone considering this position though. It may not be common for people to reassigned to other duties, I suspect it's not, but unless the Air Force puts it in writing in your enlistment papers that you cannot be reassigned to a non-musical position (and I doubt they will do this), then realize that it might not be likely, but you can be handed a rifle at anytime and ordered to guard bombers for a few years. That's just the way the armed forces work. That's why you're required to do the basic training.

bigtiny
 
#23
False.

Only the "special" band programs are exempt and even with that the pentagon can change policy any time they want. If you enlist in any non special band program, you can easily find yourself doing non-music duty.

I spent 3 years in the army field band in Ft Meade MD, a special band unit so I know what I'm talking about.
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Wrong again. So, you were in a "special" Army band. That's great for you, thanks for your service. However, that gives you absolutely no authority or credible knowledge on how the USAF band program works.

you can be handed a rifle at anytime and ordered to guard bombers for a few years.
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Really!?
 
#24
natbers78 said:
Wrong again. So, you were in a "special" Army band. That's great for you, thanks for your service. However, that gives you absolutely no authority or credible knowledge on how the USAF band program works.



Really!?
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Jazz ambassadors sp6, 1980-1983

Of course you can. When you sign up you acknowledge that the military has the right to reassign you to whatever they want . This has never happened to my knowledge In the special bands program but outside of that I'd be wary. I respect folks who serve and actually believe it should be required but if you think uncle Sam can't reassign you you're just naive.

By the way, in the jazz ambassadors which I played in a guy got in trouble and was reassigned to a line band where he was issued an m16 and did field duty. By all means look into it but go in with both eyes open
 
#25
Paging Pacman. You've been in both services whereas the rest of us are going back and forth about what military bands can and can't do. Please paint an accurate picture for us. Have you ever heard of anyone in the Air Force band program get assigned to another career field, or carry an M16, or do gate guard duty during an exercise or on a deployment?
 
#27
DirtPoorRobins said:
Paging Pacman. You've been in both services whereas the rest of us are going back and forth about what military bands can and can't do. Please paint an accurate picture for us. Have you ever heard of anyone in the Air Force band program get assigned to another career field, or carry an M16, or do gate guard duty during an exercise or on a deployment?
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The only thing that matters is that uncle sam can do whatever they want. You sign and acknowledge that when you take your oath.
 
#28
jzucker, what you are talking about may have happened in the Army Band 30 years ago. I don't really know because I have never been in the Army Band and don't feel qualified or as informed as I should be to make factual statements about that organization. However, I still fail to see how your experiences in an Army band 30 years ago can even remotely shed any light on how the USAF Band presently operates. We are talking about two very different animals here. Army bands and USAF bands have different missions, and a lot has changed since 1983.
 
#29
Having been in both Army bands (14 years) and Air Force bands (the last 10 years), I must ask those of you who do not have any first hand knowledge of AF bands to stop spreading rumor. It's not helping this thread, and it's showing your ignorance.

AF Bands are governed by AFI that specifically state that a bandsman can't be used for anything other than AF Band duty. That means you can't, by regulation, be made to go guard a gate (or any other Army tricks). You can, however, be made to go play music for the guys guarding the gate.

Now - this *is* important - if you get the gig, and for some reason aren't cutting it (behavior, not living up to expected skill levels, etc) it's reasonable to consider you for reassignment. However, it takes quite a bit of work to get to that point, and numerous opportunities will be given before doing that. I've never seen it happen, either. The one time I saw someone not cutting it removed from a band, he was put out of the AF (and I think that was his choice).
 
#30
jzucker said:
False.

Only the "special" band programs are exempt and even with that the pentagon can change policy any time they want. If you enlist in any non special band program, you can easily find yourself doing non-music duty.

I spent 3 years in the army field band in Ft Meade MD, a special band unit so I know what I'm talking about.
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Wrong. Please keep your comments within your area of expertise (e.g. Army special bands of yesteryear).
 
#32
I spent 10 years in the Navy Band and know pretty well about how the other services operate in regard to the musicians.

First off, if you're in the Air Force Band that is all you do. It is the best gig of all the service bands. Best musicians, best duty.

Navy is pretty much the same way, but the musicians overall are not of the quality of the Air Force. If you can't cut you're the gig you will get put into another job.

Army and Marines you're pretty much a soldier first, musician second.

I went into the Navy not knowing the differences. If I had it to do over I would go for the Air Force and would probably still be in today.
 
#34
jzucker said:
Total horseshizzle.

Steve Gadd and trumpeter Tom Williams are among some of the jazz ambassador alumni.

Invalid Link Removed

And Dave Wundrow (Marine band bassist) can probably smoke 99.9% of any upright players on this forum.
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I'm referring to the fleet bands, not the Jazz Ambassadors!! I'm also talking in general terms, there are some great players in all of the services, but overall they rank AF, Navy, Army, Marines.
 
#37
what happens to guys who join to be in the band, but can't cut it in, or don't have the chops for, the band? what happens to them. Stop all the double talk and just answer that question.

That .pdf you provided doesn't mean a damm thing, and you know this.
 
#38
This is my last posting on the subject. It doesn't matter what that publication says. SECAF may change any of those policies at any time. Those contracts are not bound by civilian guidelines. In time of war, you may be reassigned according to priority. Is it likely to happen, probably not.
 
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