JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – April is recognized as the Month of the Military Child, and America’s I Corps Band at Joint Base Lewis-McChord has been making the most of the observance by packing the month with performances at schools across Pierce and Thurston counties.
Sgt. 1st Class Matt Jackson, operations sergeant for the band, said the musicians were happy for the opportunity to visit and connect with students in the surrounding JBLM communities.
“After a few rough years, things are finally beginning to open throughout the state,” Jackson said. “The band command team thought the Month of the Military Child would be a perfect opportunity to get back out into the communities and show our support to not just military children, but everyone.”
Every year, the Department of Defense designates April as a month to celebrate the children of U.S. service members and acknowledge the sacrifices they make.
According to the DOD, there are more than 1.6 million military children, all of whom face challenges and unique experiences because of their parents’ service. Jackson said JBLM alone is home to roughly 46,000 family members.
To put the band’s plans into action, Jackson sent out emails in December to every school in Pierce and Thurston counties announcing the band’s intention. The response was enthusiastic, Jackson said, with 40 separate school requests.
“We were able to support each school with one of five musical performance teams we currently have; brass band, woodwind quintet, brass quintet, jazz combo, and rock band,” Jackson said.
The bands have been welcomed with open arms by students and school staff members. At Eatonville High School, the I Corps rock band impressed its audience so much that many students asked to follow the band on music streaming platforms.
The performances have given band members the opportunity to connect with their young audience and talk to them about their military service.
“Not a lot of people realize you can be in a band and be a Soldier at the same time,” said Staff Sgt. Jonathan Johnson, guitarist and lead vocalist for the band. “So that’s always fun.”
Drummer, Cpl. Isaac Martel shared his unique enlistment story with a middle school crowd. Originally from Missouri, Martel was a high school band teacher in Colorado when he made the decision to join the Army during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I took a gamble,” Martel said. “I decided to join the Army and it’s worked out pretty well for me so far. I’ve gotten to come all the way out here to the beautiful state of Washington and haven’t looked back since.”
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