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As temperatures rise beyond double digits and servicemembers from all around the world begin to move a little more sluggishly in the heat, from under a large tent in the middle of Camp Red Horse, Thailand, come the first notes to the 1970’s classic “Staying Alive,” but with a clever jazz twist. Other instruments join in, and then, eventually, a woman’s clear voice. Despite the heat, the energy in the outdoor lunch tent perks up, as the crowd tunes in. The 56th Army Band is about to put on a show.
The 56th Army Band, also known as America’s First Corps Band, traveled to Rayong, Thailand, from their home base of Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, to participate in Joint Exercise Cobra Gold 2024. The band split their time between guarding checkpoints and performing at various events throughout the exercise.
“Our role is to provide support for the exercise in multiple ways,” said Staff Sgt. Jonathan Johnson, guitarist and operations non-commissioned officer for the 56th. “We have a diplomatic mission… to go out and play for the community, as well as support the operation in house.”
This was Johnson’s second Cobra Gold, having made the trip to Thailand last year. He’s been with the band since 2019 and said traveling to these exercises was a recent opportunity that came his way.
“When I first got here (to the 56th), we didn’t do any of these exercises,” Johnson said. “It’s amazing, because I’d been in (the Army) for 13 years but never in something that was like, you will go to this country and put on performances, never been a part of an organization that did that. This is a direct mission to the people.”
Spc. Jennifer Hiemstra is the band’s vocalist and public affairs officer. She is a self-described “Army infant,” with just over a year in the military. The 56th Army Band is Hiemstra’s first duty station, and she said the experience has been incredibly rewarding so far.
“For me, some of the greatest moments are things like this,” she said, gesturing to the instruments that lay on the ground after the lunch hour show, “when you’re performing for your fellow troops. It’s operationally-oriented, but it’s also for morale. For me the biggest morale boosters are food and music!”
While here, the band had the opportunity to play along with not only another U.S Army band, but also a Thai military band. For the opening ceremonies, the 56th joined with the U.S. Army Japan Band and the Royal Thai Navy band to play each countries’ national anthems. Johnson said he witnessed musicians transcend language to make connections with their international counterparts.
“The thing that brings us together are these sheets of music,” he said. “When there’s somebody you can barely talk to, but then…that makes the music happen. Where’s a sheet of music, there’s this universal language.”
While at Cobra Gold, the band is scheduled to also participate in community outreach events, playing at local locations near Bangkok and Rayong. Johnson said they always get an enthusiastic reaction from audiences wherever they go.
“It’s always a great icebreaker, because we all like some kind of sound, some kind of vibration of sorts,” he said. “It’s great to see the local Thai people and us, out here in the heat, and all of the sudden, sound happens, and…you get that energy directly; it’s a direct shot of energy, every single time.”
That lasting cultural impact is what Hiemstra will take with her back home to the U.S.
“It’s been extremely eye-opening,” she said. “You hear about other cultures and you read about it, but you come here and you actually get to see it, and have first-hand experiences.
“In the end, my favorite thing about it is that we all seem to enjoy the same things,” she continued. “We all seem to want the same things for ourselves. That’s what I like about this job, it brings people together, regardless of cultural differences.”
| Date Taken: | 03.05.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 03.10.2024 21:26 |
| Story ID: | 465679 |
| Location: | TH |
| Web Views: | 47 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, America’s First Corps Band entertains at Cobra Gold 2024, by SSG Meredith Vincent, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
