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Senior Airman Matthew Heister

Senior Airman Matthew Heister is a guitarist in the US Air Forces in Europe Band, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Originally from Huntington Station, NY, his Air Force career began in 2014.

SrA Heister is a 2014 graduate of The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City, NY where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Jazz and Contemporary Music. Prior to beginning his Air Force career, SrAHeister served as Director of Jazz for Radio Station WFIT 89.5FM in Melbourne, FL where he hosted the weekly jazz program "Freedom in the Groove." His performance highlights include guitar duet concerts with Peter Bernstein and Larry Coryell; trio performances at New York City jazz clubs including The Bar Next Door, Kenny's Castaways, Tomi Jazz, Somethin' Jazz and many others.

In 2016, he deployed as a member of the AFCENT Band supporting operations Inherent Resolve and Resolute Support, completing 66 missions in Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan and Afghanistan reaching 5.6 million people.

EDUCATION
2014 - BFA in Jazz and Contemporary Music

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2014 - present, Guitarist, US Air Force Band of the Golden West, Travis AFB, CA

EFFECTIVE DATE OF PROMOTION
A1C - May 2014
SrA-  Sept. 2016