Deployment Training Complete for 10 Band members

Published Feb. 5, 2015
By Technical Sgt. Kevin Cerovich

Fort Dix, N.J. -- Time: 0800--Clouds of condensed exhalations float up through the twenty degree air from more than one hundred Airmen and civilians at Fort Dix, N.J. The people in this formation are attending CAST (Combat Airmen Skills Training). Among them, are 10 Airman musicians from The United States Air Force Band, preparing for their deployment later this year. Far from their instruments and collateral/support duties, these individuals (led by Capt. Dave Alpar and Senior Master Sgt. Tim Leahey) have spent the past two weeks learning everything from medical care and combat posturing on the battlefield to land navigation by compass. All of the trainees are from various career fields and are joined together by their unfamiliarity with these tactics and skills.

Many years ago when Air Force personnel deployed, the definition of who and who was not a combat troop was more clear. Now, with the structure of the coalition forces overseas and joint action both at home and abroad, every Airman must be ready to meet any number of emergency scenarios. The skills taught here are not designed to produce infantry troops, but rather to be a basic guide to military activities "outside the wire," used only in an emergency situation. That said, these Airman musicians and their "comrades in training" can be found crawling through mud that mercifully remains frozen and diving from paint-ball rounds shot from the rifles of their ever-vigilant instructors (who are mainly ex-combat trained troops) on a daily basis.

"It's astounding what can be taught to us in such a short time by these incredible instructors. On one side of me is a civil engineer and on the other is fire chief, and we're all in it together," says Singing Sergeants member, Technical Sgt. Daniel Anderson.

The idea of being all in it together extends far beyond this training. It indeed carries on to individual deployments and further. Just sweating and running and learning alongside their brothers and sisters in uniform here brings the Airman musicians to a greater understanding of what the bigger team picture actually means and where their mission of support and morale fits into it.

On the last day of training, one of the Airmen said happily to his instructor, "Well, I'm glad this is done and no one got hurt here." With deadly seriousness the instructor replied, "It's not over until you all come back safe from your deployments."

Carrying body armor, weapons, ammunition and even each other at times, this training has been grueling to all here at CAST. Nonetheless, each one of these Airman musicians has gotten a much clearer picture about what goes into the fight and is now much better prepared to meet whatever situation may be presented to them on their deployment this year.