Photo By Master Sgt. Darnell Cannady | The U.S. Air Force Band of the Pacific and Sri Lanka Air Force Rock Band members sing...... read more read more
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Music is an international language that transcends any language barrier.
The U.S. Air Force Band of the Pacific demonstrated this as they conducted various joint practices with the Sri Lanka Air Force Rock Band during Pacific Angel 25-1 at Katunayake Air Base, Sri Lanka, Sept. 8-12, 2025.
Pac Angel 25-1 seeks to promote medical interoperability and crisis response capacity building through enhanced cooperation between military, civilian, and non-governmental organizations.
The U.S. Air Force Band bolstered this interoperability by showcasing how music leads to mutual understanding and cooperation.
“We were here for a week-long subject-matter expert exchange with the Sri Lankan Air Force band, where we had workshops and master classes every day,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Ben Huseby, U.S. Air Force Band of the Pacific section chief. “We went over all genres of music, rock, jazz, classical, to include them, teaching us their traditional drumming, which was a pretty cool experience.”
Pac Angel 25-1 missions consist of several concurrent civil-military assistance activities including medical programs, civic and engineering assistance programs, and various subject-matter expert exchanges to include the U.S. and Sri Lanka bands.
“Our engagement with our Sri Lankan counterparts was very beneficial on both sides,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Ashley Huseby, U.S. Air Force Band of the Pacific vocalist. “We learned a lot about their music cultures and traditions, and hopefully we were able to share some of our American musical traditions with them as well.”
One of their practices included the U.S. Air Force band learning to play the traditional Sri Lankan drums which required them to adapt to using a different type of instrument.
“It was definitely a humbling experience, because we're all experts on our instruments, and it was pretty humbling to be handed a drum that we had no idea what the right techniques were to play it,” said Master Sgt. Huseby. “They were very patient and gracious to show us the right way to do it and simplify things down to a level that we could grab onto.”
“Even at times when we couldn't necessarily speak, you know, the same languages like we could sing rhythms to each other, and they could echo them back, and we could use music as that communicative tool,” added Master Sgt. Huseby. “That's such a powerful thing about music.”
The results from all the joint practices were evident as the U.S. Air Force and Sri Lanka band performed together during the closing ceremony with the U.S Air Force band even playing traditional Sri Lankan instruments.
“Music is a form of cultural diplomacy that we can use to create new partnerships and build alliances that can help us in the future,” said Ashley. “My favorite experience was learning to play the Sri Lankan drums and putting on a joint performance with the Sri Lankan band.”
Pac Angel 25-1 is more than just an exercise; it’s about forging practical cooperation with our allies and partners that enables rapid, coordinated responses to real-world crises in the Indo-Pacific.
“The stability and security of the Indo-Pacific is everything right now globally,” said Master Sgt. Huseby. “Getting to come to these countries and partner with nations like Sri Lanka, and use our soft power to facilitate that and bridge those cultures just deepens our friendship, partnership and our interoperability.”
| Date Taken: | 09.15.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.18.2025 10:59 |
| Story ID: | 548561 |
| Location: | LK |
| Web Views: | 75 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Music unites PACAF, Sri Lankan bands during Pac Angel 25-1, by MSgt Darnell Cannady, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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