Air Force Reserve brings entertainment to troops in Caribbean

Published May 20, 2008
By Master Sgt. Chance Babin
Air Force Reserve Command Public Affairs

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Headlined by Puerto Rican meringue sensation Melina Leon, the Band of the U.S. Air Force Reserve brought some high-octane entertainment to troops serving at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba, and to Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico, as part of Caribbean Tour 2008, May 14-17.

Ms. Leon and the band played to a large contingency of Puerto Ricans and Latinos at Gitmo, as around 300 soldiers from the Puerto Rican Army National Guard and Reserve are currently stationed there. Members of each of the four branches of the military and the Coast Guard attended the concert.

The show at Fort Buchanan was open to the public with several thousand enthusiastic fans, both from the military and the local community in attendance.

For Ms. Leon, this was her second tour of duty with the band from Robins AFB. She also took part in a two-week tour of the Middle East and Europe as part of Operation Seasons Greetings in November 2007.

"It was great seeing everyone in the band again," she said. "It was only two weeks (OSG), but it felt like a year. We were crying the last night. We didn't want to leave."

Part of getting the groups back together also gave Ms. Leon and members of the Air Force Reserve band an opportunity to play in front of friends and family, as well as pay tribute to the armed forces serving in Cuba and Puerto Rico. Several members of the band hail from Puerto Rico or have ties to the island.

For Senior Airman Wilfredo Cruz, a percussionist in the Band of the U.S. Air Force Reserve and a native Puerto Rican, the trip served as a homecoming.

"It was great," Airman Cruz said."I was a touring musician here in Puerto Rico before I joined the Air Force. So this was the first time I played here as a member of the Air Force. It was interesting seeing the picture from the other side."

The opportunity to play in Cuba was particularly special for Airman Cruz. His father was also a musician, who had played in Cuba back in the 1970s, so he was able to follow his dad's footsteps and play for the troops on Cuban soil.

This trip served as a great opportunity for Air Force Reserve Command to get involved with the Latin community and was a chance to get involved with U.S. Southern Command and 12th Air Force.

"I think it was an overwhelming success best measured by the audience's reaction, which was over the top," said Dave Ballengee, deputy director of the Air Force Reserve band. "This is the kind of thing that squarely fits into the requirements of the Air Force Reserve Band."

For Col. Ed Domingo, commander of the U.S. Army garrison at Fort Buchanan, having Melina Leon and the Band of the U.S. Air Force Reserve on his installation was a great opportunity to showcase the fort.

"This was a great highlight to support Armed Forces Day at Fort Buchanan for service member's families and the troops," the colonel said. "We are a community base installation and part of our covenant is to support not only the troops and families but our community."

The end result was showing support of the troops in the region, reaching out to the community and bringing the military and local population together for a common purpose.

"This event was able to pull the community and Soldiers here at Fort Buchanan side by side," Mr. Ballengee said. "We'd love to come back here, but our mission is dictated to us. I hope this opens some doors for more SOUTHCOM and 12th Air Force opportunities." (Air Force Reserve Command News Service)