Photo By Spc. Kyle Kimble | U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Chrisopher Edwards, assigned to the U.S. Army Europe and Africa...... read more read more
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Mihail Kogalniceanu Airbase, Romania — With a performance of the decade's greatest hits, the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Chorus and Band connects with the Romanian public through music and fun during an outreach tour in Romania, April 7-11, 2025.
The outreach tour is a series of concerts that prepare for the annual NATO DEFENDER-Europe 25 exercise. Led by U.S. Army Europe and Africa, DEFENDER-Europe focuses on the strategic deployment of CONUS-based forces, employment of Army Prepositioned Stock, and follow-on exercises demonstrating lethality and interoperability with Allies and partners.
Music is engraved in military culture and has been used to boost morale, communicate, and spread messages in the Army since its inception. The opportunity to share a piece of military culture with our foreign allies is what makes the outreach tour such a special occasion.
The outreach tour is an annual event and signals the preparations for the DEFENDER exercise. Members of the Chorus and Band perform at local venues and schools as an important community engagement while U.S. Soldiers work with Romanian forces to accomplish their mission.
While performing, the Soldiers play many well known songs starting from the 50s to as recent as today’s hits.
The Soldiers of the Band are Musicians by Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), their primary job, while the members of the Chorus sing as a secondary MOS. Members of the Chorus come from throughout the Army and audition for their spot.
Traditionally, the Army Band was used for formal events. Bugles were used for battlefield communication and diplomatic protocol. Now, bands play at military balls and events and participate in key community engagement wherever our forces are stationed throughout the world.
The Band did not only play music during the outreach tour, they also went on a press tour, appearing on TV stations such as Tele M Iasi TV station, and other local Romanian outlets. The Band conducted interviews and answered questions about the differences between US and Romanian Culture, as well as sharing their appreciation for the country of Romania.
With DEFENDER-Europe being the largest U.S.-hosted exercise in Europe, its importance not only serves as a great training event but also reinforces NATO's goal of deterrence.
The nature of the Army band remains the same, rooted in tradition, values, fun, and community. This allows places visited like the cities of Vaslui and Braila to connect with the service members who are often spoken about but rarely seen by the public.
| Date Taken: | 04.11.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.17.2025 05:33 |
| Story ID: | 495406 |
| Location: | MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU AIR BASE, RO |
| Web Views: | 41 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, U.S. Army Europe and Africa Band and Chorus Tours Romania, by SPC Kyle Kimble, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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