Members of the US Air Forces Central (AFCENT) Band aim to strike the right note at the Bahrain International Airshow (BIAS) by transcending language barriers, bridging cultures and fostering connections with sweet music in the air.
The seven-strong group of world-class musicians, including Captain David Regner, Master Sergeant Carl Eitzen, Technical Sergeant (Tech Sgt) Ainsley DeWitt, Master Sergeant (Master Sgt) Chip Cothran, Master Sergeant Adam Green, Senior Airman Christopher Thompson, Senior Airman Alycia Cancel, Senior Airman Michael Horrigan and Senior Airman Ryu Yamakawa, will be performing popular hits at Sakhir Airbase from tomorrow until Friday.
Band members, who touched down in the kingdom on Master Sgt Cothran’s birthday last week, are determined to get visitors in the right groove to enjoy the aerobatic three-day event.
“We’re really grateful to be here and to be the first US Air Force Band to participate at Bahrain International Airshow,” said Tech Sgt DeWitt, AFCENT band non-commissioned officer in charge.
“We are also excited to make some new friends here too. The air show is a big venue so we will be plugged in and all electric with amplification.”
The versatile group will be performing a wide variety of genres including Top 40 tunes, pop, country, rock ‘n’ roll classics, movie soundtracks such as pop classic Country Roads, This is Me from The Greatest Showman, Dua Lipa’s Levitating with a cool twist and the Beatles Hard Day’s Night.
Master Sgt Cothran, AFCENT Band pianist, revealed that the team had started putting together the Bahrain International Airshow musical set in June and have staged hundreds of rehearsal hours in anticipation of the major event.
“Whether we are playing in a garage, in a yard or at an international airshow, we go out to entertain. Playing for a smaller audience is great but when we get to the air show there will be thousands of people, which makes everything feel even more exciting.
“It’s our privilege to be here at the Bahrain International Airshow representing the Air Forces Central Band and the US Air Force to help build partnerships with all the different nations here.”
More than 120 US military and civilian personnel are expected to participate in this year’s BIAS – which is held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad, and under the supervision of the King’s personal representative and BIAS’ Supreme Organising Committee chairman Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
The BIAS is organised by the Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry and the Royal Bahraini Air Force in co-operation with Farnborough International.
Since its inception in 2010, US military support and participation continues to build and enhance enduring relationships in the region.
The Ninth Air Force’s (Air Forces Central) participation in this event is just one way the US forces work together, they say, with their partners to advance shared objectives for regional stability and enhance interoperability.
The AFCENT Band will be performing two hours a day, from 11am to 1pm until the flying demonstrations begin.
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