Wings of Dixie supports MIOS, boosts morale at Incirlik

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Marissa Tucker
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --   Incirlik Airmen and family members had a chance to boogie as the Wings of Dixie band delivered toe-tapping tunes March 22-23.

Wings of Dixie, a jazz ensemble for U.S. Air Forces in Europe, visited Incirlik as part of their Music in Our Schools Tour -- a national program promoting funding for musical education and fine arts programs in schools at risk of losing financial support.

With a focus on American jazz and eclectic, New Orleans-style music, the ensemble played three shows for students at Incirlik Unit School. While students showed their appreciation by participating and singing along, the band members were grateful to visit the school and show the children the options available to them in the music field.

"When I was younger, I just knew I wanted to play the drums, but I didn't know I could do it in the Air Force," said Master Sgt. Clarence Carpenter, Wings of Dixie drummer. "I had no idea of the things that were available to me, and that is why I love traveling with the band. You can open people's eyes up to many things."

Members of the USAFE band travel around Europe providing entertainment for Airmen and families, fortifying international relationships, enhancing troop morale, and fostering trust and friendship among the military, governmental and civilian populations, according to the band's mission statement.

Contrary to some belief, Air Force bands are part of the air expeditionary force deployment rotation and deploy to areas of conflict providing entertainment for service members. Because their mission is different from most Airmen, many band members enjoy the opportunity to see how the rest of the force operates while boosting morale and providing a touch of home.

"Some of my more enjoyable experiences were deploying and traveling to play for service members," Carpenter said. "Just to see them have fun and just relax for a while is a really great feeling."

Band members operate on 90-day deployment periods, while members of the administration team can deploy for up to six months. Operating from the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing in Southwest Asia, band members perform for Airmen at forward operating bases across the area of responsibility, sometimes to very remote locations where service members need encouragement the most.

Being part of the Air Force band is not all about the music. In addition to practicing intensely, each member has additional duties crucial to keeping the operation running, such as finance, enlisted performance reports and schedules. As Airmen, they are expected to maintain Air Force fitness standards and adhere to the core values by maintaining and improving their musical skill levels at all times.

"The Air Force band has always had a great reputation, which is what prompted me to try out," said Staff Sgt. Saundra Siniger, Wings of Dixie trombone player. "In college, one of my professors suggested researching the Air Force band as a possible career option. Musicians can have several aspirations, may it be making it big as a soloist or as part of a larger group.

"The Air Force gives you the unique experience of being able to do what you love, serve your country and maintain a stable career," Siniger said. "To me, that's pretty big."