U.S. Army Pipers

-----Original Message-----
From: Chuck Jamison
Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2003 8:36 AM
To: chuck.jamison@us.army.mil
Subject: 91st Division Pipe Band

SSG Steve McKinney is the pipe major of the 91st Division Pipe Band and they got activated last month with the rest of the 91st Division headquarters and band. He said I could forward this to everyone and any of you may use it as well. Chuck

Greetings,

My heart has been warmed during these last couple of months by the e-mail messages and mail I have received from friends and family. I will do my best to keep you abreast regarding what is happening with me.

As you know, my Army Reserve Division (including the band) was called to one year of active military duty in January, as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. You may wonder what the President needs with a bagpiper and a band. One reason is because our secondary mission during war time is to provide for the physical security of division personnel and assets. To accomplish this we have been training with our M-16s (firing at night and firing with gas masks on), doing security training, and combat first aid training. Our duties are to patrol the Camp, do guard duty, and search vehicles at the front gate. The higher the threat condition at Camp Parks the more soldiers we have doing these duties.

However, our most important mission is to motivate our troops and to do the best we can to care for their morale. We do this by performing ceremonies when they ship out, celebrating when they come home, and honoring them when they are killed.

Soldiers during war are asked to do extraordinary things. They will be asked to run into enemy fire, brave chemical and biological weapons, save a buddy, and sometimes sacrifice their lives for the rest of us. Since these actions are against all human instinct, how does a country motivate its soldiers? It has long been known that music has the power to propel ordinary people to extraordinary deeds. I hope that my music will inspire courage within the hearts of the soldiers who hear it.

Think of how you felt when you first heard "God Bless America" after September 11th. People throughout the country drew strength and inspiration from this simple melody. Military bands own America's patriotic and traditional music and it is my duty to remind fellow soldiers of the sense of honor and pride they should feel in serving and defending this country. Also, it is my privilege to remind the public, through music, of the greatness of the nation in which they live.

Last week, the pipe band played in a farewell ceremony on the flight line at Travis AFB for 90 soldiers of the 140th Aviation Company. As we played, the soldiers kissed their spouses and children good-bye for the last time and then they loaded on a jet with rifles slung on their shoulders. In minutes the jet was gone. Everyone left on the ground prayed these men and women would all return safely. It was very sad…

Please know that I am much safer and more comfortable than most of the soldiers in Operation Enduring Freedom. However, I feel that if we pipers have to be in the Army we should be where we can do the most good. That includes going where our troops are. There are no other pipers in the Army and we may or may not be able to get where the troops are. If we do, we will still be safer than all of the soldiers we play for.

I pray for peace, but I believe that the President is doing the right thing. I also believe that what the country does today will make the world a better place for my grandson and I urge everyone to support our President and our soldiers.

Anyway, I didn't mean to go on for this long. Thanks for all of your support. Please know that I am fine and proud to be here.


SSG Steven McKinney
91st Div. Band