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Cumming, Georgia. (October 29, 2023): Since the founding of the Republic, music has played a vital role in both training troops and inspiring fellow Americans to join the fight. In this photo by Musician 1st Class Matthew Gagliardo, Navy Musician 1st Class David Kapral performs on the bass trumpet at West Forsyth High School during the Commodores 2023 National Tour.
The Commodores is a collection of tours held each year by various units of the Navy Band. For musicians like these, this means weeks on the road doing performances for audiences as small as local high schools. They also perform at major municipal halls, community centers, and countless universities and outdoor venues such as football stadiums and on the Capitol Mall.
The history of martial tunes begins with the Medieval Turks who are credited with developing the first truly military bands. These “Mehtaran,” or "pre-eminences", played during the military campaigns of the Ottoman Turks who ruled Europe and Asia for over six hundred years. The Ottomans were the first to use band instruments, such as fife, drum, and bugle, to communicate orders to soldiers in battle.
The Americans continued this tradition during the Civil War where each regiment was required to organize a field band to help command and control tactical units by dictating movements through specific tunes. Much later, General George Armstrong Custer required the Seventh Cavalry Band to play during actual combat operations to inspire his troopers, although to an unfortunate outcome.
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Wewak, Papua New Guinea (October 22, 2023): It is one of the bright spots of Navy service, using your training and lifesaving skills to help those less fortunate. In this photo by MC1 Kegan E. Kay, Navy Lieutenant Anna Rayne conducts a wellness check on a young Papua New Guinean patient during Pacific Partnership 2023, the largest humanitarian mission in the Indo-Pacific. Lt. Rayne and her colleagues are visiting Papua New Guinea as part of an annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness program.
The Pacific Partnership series was created after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that killed over 230,000 people. To improve coordination between non-profit relief agencies, local governments, and regional military forces in the future, Pacific Partnership strengthens relationships and security ties to be better prepared. Each year, the U.S. Navy sends medical teams and civil affairs units throughout the Indo-Pacific to work with local military and civilian relief agencies to ensure the smooth delivery of goods and services.
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South China Sea. (October 28, 2023): Anyone who has ever tried to pull their fishing boat alongside a buddy will testify to how difficult such a seemingly easy task can be. Can you imagine two giant ships, jockeying into position in harsh weather, trying to offload tons of fuel? In this photo by MC1 Greg Johnson, Royal Canadian Navy supply ship MV Asterix transfers supplies to the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey while underway in the South China Sea.
In early naval history, the world’s oceans were dotted with “coaling” stations that serviced the world’s fleets with fuel, food, and water which allowed nations to project their power. These stations, however, were vulnerable to disruption or attack thus cutting off a vital lifeline to ships in time of war. The solution was to design a system to transfer highly flammable fuels and other supplies “ship to ship” while underway.
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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (October 21, 2023): During the early years of the Revolution, Washington’s Army lacked the structure and discipline to fight superior British forces. In 1778, German born Baron Friedrich von Steuben instituted our nation’s first military drill program to instill order and discipline among Contiental Soldiers. In this photo by Sergeant Kelsey Dornfeld, members of the Silent Drill Platoon perform their elegant and precise movements to the delight of their fellow citizens.
Von Stueben knew that drill movements, done precisely and repetitively, instill discipline, teamwork, and the ability to instantly follow orders. This 24-man ceremonial rifle platoon, which began in 1948 after a one-night performance, now excites audiences around the country.
The Silent Platoon performs with hand-polished, ten-and-one-half pound M1 Garand rifles with fixed bayonets which they spin and toss with amazing accuracy. The routine concludes with a unique rifle inspection sequence that requires hundreds of hours of practice to do properly.
Members of the Silent Platoon are selected from the Schools of Infantry at Camp Pendleton, California and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Members serve a 2-year ceremonial tour while also continuing to train as infantry at nearby Quantico, Virginia. Once selected, candidates begin their rigorous training at Marine Barracks Washington and later move to Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona to perfect their routines.
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Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, Oklahoma. (October 19, 2023): In this photo by Airman 1st Class Erika Chapa, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne Bass shares a laugh with members of the 137th Special Operations Wing of the Oklahoma Air National Guard during a combat skills demonstration. Pictured with the top NCO is Technical Sergeant Jaboree Kiel (Left), Mission Sustainment Team trainer, Staff Sergeant Tyrone Harrison (Right), a civil engineer Airman, and Chief Master Sgt. John Alsvig, the Air Force First Sergeant Special Duty Manager.
Chief Bass is the first female to hold the highest senior enlisted rank in any United States military branch and the first person of Asian-American descent to hold such a lofty rank. Chief Bass was raised as a “military brat” living in multiple locations stateside and overseas before joining the Air Force herself in 1993.
She has held a variety of increasingly responsible leadership positions including significant Special Operations experience. Having served as a squadron, group, and wing commander, She deployed to Operations Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. Prior to this assignment, she served as the Command Chief Master Sergeant, Second Air Force, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. She has been awarded the Air Force Legion of Merit and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, among numerous other decorations.
The 137th Special Operations Wing is a unit of the Oklahoma Air National Guard that provides light tactical manned intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance to the national Special Operations Command.
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San Diego, California. (October 19, 2023): Some folks seem determined to test fate. In this photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Adam Stanton, a Coast Guard Sector San Diego boarding team stops an illegal charter that is clearly overloaded and poses a serious risk to its passengers and crew. These types of incidents typically involve the heavy use of alcohol and a total disregard for basic safety procedures, especially when transporting commercial passengers at sea.
The Coast Guard is the leading federal maritime law enforcement agency with both the authority and capability to enforce national and international law on the high seas. Coast Guard cutters regularly patrol the nearshore waters of America’s coasts seeking to interdict smugglers and undocumented immigrants but also run into these types of situations.
For those boaters willing to tempt their fate in an unpleasant exchange with the Coast Guard, the first thing is to remember the extent of their enforcement authority.
Under Title 14 Federal Statutes, the Coast Guard may make inquiries, examinations, inspections, searches, seizures, and arrests upon the high seas and for the prevention, detection, and suppression of violations of laws of the United States.
This covers a lot of ground. If found in violation of the law, you may be arrested, have your boat impounded, and any equipment or illegal substances will be seized. If convicted of crimes at sea, a violator could face years in a federal penitentiary and severe economic penalties.