Every so many years, and timed with budget cutbacks, military bands draw a certain level of scrutiny inside and outside the Department of Defense. The standard accusation is that bands do not warrant budget assets if they do not fall under bullets, bombs or bayonets; or do not fall under a medical budget to patch those who fall victim to BBB.

Those who drag up the military bands theme will normally politicize the funding of bands as they neglect to describe what the military bands actually do.  Worse, a critic, masquerading as music lover, will add spin by relating what they observe of military bands performances for the public.

Throughout my three decades of military service, I have never seen an argument based on the statistics or the results of  their contribution to the morale of military service members. I, also, never have seen a statement of the bands’ purpose included in a news story, and I never have seen a written result of the psychological impact music has on deployed troops.

In the articles of late that quote the recently published  manual (Army Tactics, Techniques and Procedures 1-19,) they chose to lambast the published numbers of Army bands that currently serve, but eschew the information in the same manual that describes the purpose and results of the same bands.

These same authors do not quote the numbers of personnel that the DOD hires for the Public Affairs Offices or Morale, Welfare and Recreation which work in conjunction. They do not quote the numbers of psychologists, psycho-therapists, or building space that these people occupy, yet, bands do some of the same work to reduce soldier's stress levels. They also are not quoting the number of chapels, chaplains, chaplain assistants and social workers involved with troop counseling and spiritual advisement. The bands supply music to services held in million dollar chapels and assist the program every day at gravesides and memorial services, unnoticed by the newswriters.

Those who speak of bands or produce news articles see military bands in the public and must assume that that is all they do. They associate their personal experiences with bands through school sports, street parades or tavern entertainment and consider that as “unnecessary” in the military. I have, yet, to see a critique that was based on firsthand knowledge of bands in recent areas of conflict. I do not see one article that reports on bands' capabilities to improve the morale and contribute to the fight through the troops’ psychological and mental readiness.

The pundits and “spinners” will not quote facts on military bands, but I will. In 335 months of combat operations—the Global War on Terrorism—from 2003 to 2008, Army bands averaged 387 performances per month in the area of operations (AO). Total performances in the same time period numbered 8,253 reaching hundreds of thousands of American and Coalition troops. Those are only the Army band statistics. The US Air Force and Marines also deployed bands to the AO during this time who have their own statistics. I personally saw the British and Australian bands deployed and heard of other countries who supplied bands--and these are additional performances alongside the US Army.

The 335 months included 954 buglers for memorial services. I personally sent 245 buglers to memorial services in Operation Iraqi Freedom 2006 to 2008. Each of those memorial services had no less than a hundred comrades of the deceased in attendance, many of them weeping for their buddies at the final notes. The buglers, along with the seven-man team of riflemen for 21-gun salute, are a last tribute to the fallen heroes. The press normally does not report on the effects that the final moments of a memorial service has on the troops. In 16 months ending in March 2010, the Army supplied buglers for 214 services. The need for memorial services does not end as long as conflict persists.

At the same time, the bands do not perform only for memorials. Bands also performed in the same 16 months for over 2,300 ceremonies and troop support events in Iraq and Afghanistan. They performed with music that fit the occasion—whether it be John Phillip Sousa marches, or music by the latest country, rock and R&B artists. This would be in addition to all USO and MWR shows and troop entertainment provide during the same period.

Military bands are the most versatile musical organizations in the world, and they strive to adapt to any genre or occasional music that can be accomplished with the talent assigned to them. Normally, civilian bands and orchestras that make recordings or perform in the public will specialize in their genre or style of music. Few popular groups can play for a parade, play the classics and also furnish the top 40 popular styles—all at short notice. They certainly are not trained for combat duty, in deployable physical condition, or are willing to die for their country for what they do! The military bands are capable and willing to do all.

The periodic criticism of military bands, however, can help military bands. It brings attention to what we do and, like it is said, “Any publicity is good publicity.”  Still, it would be good to see an article by someone who actually knows what they are all about.