JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. - More than 30 musicians from the I Corps Band practiced, trained and came together as a team to sharpen their tactical skills on battle drill six March 18, here.
"This is the first time the band has ever conducted an exercise of this size and scope," said Staff Sgt. Jared Bree, unit training noncommissioned officer, 56th Army Band, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, I Corps. "We are focusing our nonmission occupation specialty training time on this particular battle drill to develop team work and unit cohesion while sharpening our soldier skills."
According to the unit's first sergeant, 1st Sgt. Lori Nix, the purpose of the training is to get soldiers familiar with battle drill six, entering and clearing a building. Although their job as musicians does not require them to use these skills on a daily basis the band can deploy at any time and as soldiers these are skills they should practice and know.
"It's good training, it's something that we don't get to do a lot of because of our job, it's good to keep those skills fresh," said Sgt. Karen Oliver, musician, 56th Army Band.
The unit demonstrated their willingness to learn new techniques such as different ways to clear a building, move under fire and aid a casualty.
The exercise is a culmination of warrior task and drills training that the band has been doing for the past three months.
Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division assisted the band by training them on battle drill six and acted as opposition forces to give soldiers more realistic scenarios.
"We are setting up battle drill six and training them on the basics and fundamentals," said Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Fairchild, A Company, 1-17 Inf. "Because you never know when you might need them."
Before conducting the drill, the band trained on other areas that go hand-in-hand with the training; combat life saver training, conducting patrols in an urban environment, conducting a nine-line medical evacuation, rifle ranges.
According to Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Wilson, detachment leader, 56th Army Band, although their primary job is to play music and entertain people they are soldiers and with that there are training requirements they have to meet.
"It's awesome that we are doing it today and I hope we have more of this type of training in the future," said Spc. Matthew Hooker, musician, 56th Army Band.
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