"House votes to nix military bands at dinners, dances"

[The Bread Guy]

One way to save some $, I guess ...

The next base Christmas party might not feature any active-duty flutists or tuba players.

The House on Thursday passed legislation sponsored by former A-10 pilot Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., that bars the military from using its many troop bands to entertain at dinners, dances and social events.

The bill limits performances to formal military ceremonies and funeral honors.

It is the latest attempt to cut back the roughly $500 million that the Defense Department spends annually on bands, which date back to the birth of the country’s armed forces but have recently run into criticism as Congress wrangles with tight budgets.

“For every dollar that is spent on our bands to entertain at social functions that’s a dollar we’re not spending on national security and on our troops and our families,” McSally said on the House floor Thursday.

The limits on band performances is now part of the annual $602-billion defense budget and must also be adopted by the Senate before it can become law. That debate will likely continue over the next few months.

Lawmakers have been scraping – and risking a presidential veto – to boost defense spending by about $18 billion during the coming year. The House has proposed using Islamic State war funds for training, facilities and hardware, which means downrange troops will run out of money for the fight in April.

McSally said the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps are facing pilot and aircraft shortages.

“Yet today, we have 99 different Army bands,” she said. “In fact, today these bands will play at 22 different shows worldwide.”

The other service branches also have bands and, in fiscal year 2015, the Defense Department spent a total of $437 million on musicians, instruments, uniforms and travel expenses, McSally said. It could be shelling out as much as $11,000 for flutes, $12,000 for tubas, and $88,000 pianos ...

 

[brihard]

I sympathize with them, I really do. I hate it when my half billion dollar military band budget gets slashed.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

If they're active service members, wouldn't the saving be minimal?  I don't know if, say, the Stad band plays at Juno Tower that actually 'costs money', other than for them to drive from Windsor Park to Stad... ???

 

[PuckChaser]

If they're active service members, wouldn't the saving be minimal?  I don't know if, say, the Stad band plays at Juno Tower that actually 'costs money', other than for them to drive from Windsor Park to Stad... ???

Travel is likely the issue. Flying/driving a band and instruments around the country for every little unit ball/Christmas party is probably most of their budget.

 

[dapaterson]

How many CAF bands went to KAF to entertain the troops?  Zero. So if the troops don't want them, why have them at all?

(Remember,  in the '90s, the CAF kept bands over PERI. You can see where our priorities are).

 

[PuckChaser]

Only band I've ever seen play for the troops in Canada is either civilian-manned, or secondary-duty bands. CAF Musicians are on music scholarships and waste PYs/funding.

 

[tomahawk6]

Usually every major command has a band.The Army band in DC gets tapped for alot of these types of events for the VIPs.Nothing to say what they do in their off duty time.

 

[dimsum]

Only band I've ever seen play for the troops in Canada is either civilian-manned, or secondary-duty bands. CAF Musicians are on music scholarships and waste PYs/funding.

The Naden band (and I'm assuming all others) will split off into groups to do things.  We had a jazz trio play at the 407 sqn 75th reunion in Comox, for example.  Not sure if they get paid above/beyond their salary for those gigs though.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Depends if it is deemed an official function, or not.

 

[dapaterson]

Let's put a bayonet lug on the trombones, and they can double as airfield protection.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

I like the way you think....

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Only band I've ever seen play for the troops in Canada is either civilian-manned, or secondary-duty bands. CAF Musicians are on music scholarships and waste PYs/funding.

We have a Regimental Band. The vast majority are serving members. They really don't need the civilian volunteers, but they give the band some depth. They are all CF musicians. They aren't  on any scholarships. They get paid like everyone else. They are not wasting anything. They are a PR asset for the CAF and to the unit. They exist at the behest of BG  & Division.

 

[Remius]

We have a Regimental Band. The vast majority are serving members. They really don't need the civilian volunteers, but they give the band some depth. They are all CF musicians. They aren't  on any scholarships. They get paid like everyone else. They are not wasting anything. They are a PR asset for the CAF and to the unit. They exist at the behest of BG  & Division.

To add to this, bands were cut as well in the 90s.  As far as I'm aware I think there are only three regular force bands and a spattering of PRES bands.  All of them busy from all accounts. 

 

[PuckChaser]

22 RegF, 62 PRes bands. Website doesn't specify which are CAF Musicians and which are secondary duties.

http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/musi/bd-am/index-eng.asp?province=&Type=&Component=Reg+F&Status=&Name=&btnSubmit=Search

 

[dapaterson]

Many bands are volunteers - not military musicians, but other trades volunteering.  Only six Reg F bands are made up of professional musicians: the two Navy bands; the RCA and R22eR bands, the Air Command Band, and the Central Band.

 

[Remius]

22 RegF, 62 PRes bands. Website doesn't specify which are CAF Musicians and which are secondary duties.

http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/musi/bd-am/index-eng.asp?province=&Type=&Component=Reg+F&Status=&Name=&btnSubmit=Search

So 6 of 22 regular force bands are dedicated full time.  A lot of those PRES ones look to be volunteer.  I think 33Cbg only has two actual bands.  CHof O pipes and drums and GGFG band.  Toronto area might have a few more like the Horse Guards, RRofC and 48th.  I doubt there are 62 dedicated PRES bands.  But more than I thought.  Thanks for the link.

 

[Old Sweat]

Where did the figure of 22 regular force bands come from? Six real bands staffed by the regular force musician trade seems reasonable. The rest may be volunteer unit/formation bands and pipes and drums.

Let's not try to compare the US military band establishment with our own. Ours has been steadily degraded over the years, but we can still produce small groups to play at functions like mess dinners. (I don't know how the funding and reimbursement of musicians essentially playing a "gig" in the CAF works.) Let's also not compare how the Americans handle "unofficial functions" such as dinners with formal occasions with our approach.

 

[chrisf]

I doubt there are 62 dedicated PRES bands.  But more than I thought.  Thanks for the link.

1st battalion royal Newfoundland regiment very definitely has a "real" band, with primary reservist musicians, in the "musician" trade.

They're quite good, the majority are music students at MUN, but there's a mix of backgrounds as well.

 

[PuckChaser]

So 6 of 22 regular force bands are dedicated full time.  A lot of those PRES ones look to be volunteer.  I think 33Cbg only has two actual bands.  CHof O pipes and drums and GGFG band.  Toronto area might have a few more like the Horse Guards, RRofC and 48th.  I doubt there are 62 dedicated PRES bands.  But more than I thought.  Thanks for the link.

If you switch the drop link to PRes, it shows you all PRes bands. My count might have been off by 1 or 2, its just a massive list.

 

[Remius]

If you switch the drop link to PRes, it shows you all PRes bands. My count might have been off by 1 or 2, its just a massive list.

Yeah. But I know a lot of the 33CBG (my only real frame of reference I'm afraid) bands listed there are not dedicated bands but volunteers and secondary tasks.  The Camerons and GGFG have actual bands.  I'm fairly certain that units like the PWOR and SDandG do not despite being listed.  They might have sponsored volunteer bands but not actual paid class a musician bands. 

But I don't mind being corrected if this is wrong.

At 62 bands, assuming 20 members per band as an average you are looking at over 1200 reserve musicians.  Seems a bit high.