Letter from the Desert 9 Feb 2019

Finally!  After a week of rehearsals and a couple of cancelled events Drop Zone performed for audiences in Al Udeid.

In case you missed it, our first performance drew lots of attention from the brass here on base and back in Los Angeles, California. We live streamed a short performance to the students of Sutter Middle School, where TSgt Jose Fausto works as the Music Director. The school put out a press release and CBS 2 LA responded. They aired a 30 second spot on all their newscasts that day. We played a few songs and had a question and answer session while students were snacking on MREs. We reached an audience in excess of 100,000 people, maybe even more! This is unheard of, and possibly a first, for any AFCENT Band. The videos continue to be shared on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can view the videos here and here. 

A couple days later we performed for a live audience in Al Udeid. It was lots of fun and we had a receptive audience. The biggest compliment we received was a beaming smile when Lt. Gen. Guastella, AFCENT Commander, looked in our direction and flashed his Hollywood-smile (you should see it!). We also received enthusiastic feedback on how much better our sets are when we incorporate horns into the music we play. This was also a nice way to prepare for us to hit the road and forward-deploy to a few other countries and bases. Follow us on all the social media outlets to see where we end up!

We have received birthday and Valentine’s Day cards from friends and family back home. We appreciate all the support and humor you all bring.

Sincerely,

Drop Zone

AFCENT Band