The House has voted to spend less on brass and woodwinds so there’s more money for bullets and bombs.
From the AP: With little debate, lawmakers on Thursday approved an amendment by Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., that restricts the Defense Department from footing the bill for military bands to play at dinners, dances and other social events.
McSally, a retired Air Force fighter pilot, said upward of $430 million a year goes for military musicians’ instruments, uniforms and travel expenses. At the same time, budget pressures have caused a sharp decline in the combat readiness of the armed forces. The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps are short of pilots and aircraft, she said, and the Army is heading toward having the smallest number of soldiers since World War II.
Yet there are 99 different bands in the Army alone, she said, who may have 20 or more performances scheduled on a given day around the world. “For every dollar that is spent on our bands to entertain at social functions, that is a dollar we are not spending on national security, on our troops, and our families,” McSally said. “Do we want to have aircraft parts funded or musical instruments?”
Lest she be thought of as an enemy of the arts, McSally noted she’s not pulling the plug completely. Military bands will continue to perform ceremonial duties, including the funerals of service members and other special ceremonies.
Her amendment was added to the annual defense spending bill, which also passed the House on Thursday. McSally won the backing of an important ally: Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., the chairman of the House defense appropriations subcommittee.
“The bands play an important role during ceremonies recognizing the sacrifices of the fallen, but they are not appropriate at every event,” Frelinghuysen said.
The amendment to the proposed Department of Defense budget for 2017 (H.R. 5293) that would severely restrict funding for military band performances states that “none of the funds made available by this Act may be used for performances by a military musical unit (as defined in section 974 of title 10, United States Code) described in paragraph (2)(B) or (3) of subsection (a) of such section.”
This would limit band performances so that they could not participate in: patriotic parades or concerts (including July 4th), official receptions and banquets, concerts for troops in war zones, state funerals, even the national anthem at almost any event.
If these events were contracted to civilian musicians the cost would be significantly higher.
“These servicemen and women set one of the highest examples of musical achievement, pride in nation, and further the aspirations of all citizens, including young American music students across the nation,” Mike Blakelee, executive director of the National Association for Music Education said in a statement.
“They provide music throughout the entire spectrum of operations, to instill in our forces the will to fight and win, foster the support of our citizens, and promote America’s interests at home and abroad.”
Just days after the latest House vote, supporters set up a petition on the White House website urging the president to support continued funding for the bands, arguing “if these events were contracted to civilian musicians, the cost would be significantly higher.”
Click on this link to access and sign the petition:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/continue-military-bands-funding
The goal is 100,00 signatures. It needs to be signed by July 19, 2016 to get a response from the White House.
At the time of this publication almost 25,000 individuals have signed on to the effort, although 100,000 are needed before the White House is required to issue a response.
Lt. Col. Domingos Robinson, commander and conductor of the Eighth Army Band, took to his personal blog last week to blast the thinking behind the new pressure on the military performers.
He said, “The people who think that limiting military bands to ceremonies and funerals is a good idea have no idea what we do,” he wrote. “We make Americans feel good about their military and their country; we create connections between cultures; we set the stage for strategic talks; we bridge the gap; we provide context; we help people celebrate and we help people mourn.”
Editor Rita Barnea said, “I think that it is very important to be supportive of musical groups in the military. It is uplifting for people to hear music. Many of the groups feature the accordion to people who otherwise would not see the accordion being played or realize how versatile the instrument is. The accordion plays a very important part in the music and performances by the military.
Sgt. Major Manny Bobenrieth is the accordionist in United States Army Band’s “Pershing’s Own.” and in charge of army strings.
As accordionist with The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” SGM Bobenrieth has performed for Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush, at numerous White House State Dinners in honor of foreign dignitaries such as Margaret Thatcher, Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, and The Emperor of Japan.
In addition, he has written numerous arrangements for The U.S. Army Strings, which have been featured at Avery Fisher Hall, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the State Department, the Vice President’s residence, and the White House. Since 2004, SGM Bobenrieth has been the Group Leader for The U.S. Army Strings.
Master Sgt. Frank Busso Jr. is the accordionist with the Air Force Strings, The United States Air Force Band, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C. Originally from Staten Island, New York, his Air Force career began in 2005. Busso attended Boston University and received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration in 2001. He studied accordion with Frank Busso Sr. at the Staten Island Music School in New York.
Prior to joining the Air Force, Busso was an instructor and arranger with the Boston University Athletic Bands. He was also an instructor at the Staten Island Music School, where his students earned many regional and national titles in competition.
Signing the petition is a positive way to show your support of musical groups in the military.
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