An Interview with Staff Sergeant Javier Sanz
An audio technician friend of mine recently re-enlisted in the Army, and over the years has been totally positive about it; he was getting a great education and there are many audio opportunities available in the services ranging from recording to live sound. Last month, we began a conversation about some of his experiences supporting military bands — both stateside, and overseas (FRONT of HOUSE, Sept. 2015, page 60).
What kind of gear do you have?
Each band has different needs. The U.S. Army band, “Pershing’s Own,” uses a number of different speaker systems, from line arrays to small “sound on a stick” rigs. We also use in-ear monitoring systems for our vocalists. Each group requires a customized system.
What is your main responsibility?
There is rarely a day that goes by that we are not working. The tech support world of the three Special Bands includes numerous other responsibilities. The U.S. Military Academy Band supports the West Point Military Academy and all of their events. The U.S. Army Field Band conducts national tours all year long, since touring is the main part of their mission. The priority responsibilities of The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” are ceremonies and funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, supporting the events of the Military District and high-level diplomatic events around the Nation’s capital.
From 2002 to 2010, our element, “The U.S. Army Band Downrange,” toured the Middle East with the Sergeant Major of the Army and USO “Hope and Freedom Tour.” When I went on this in 2008, I was new to the organization, and it was an unbelievable experience for me. We went into Iraq and Afghanistan with an emcee, cheerleaders, comedians and guest artists and a full sound system that we cranked as loud as we could in a war zone — what could go wrong? We were doing what Bob Hope had done back in the day, but with more sound, which we loaded on pallets and pushed inside a C-17 cargo plane.
Do you have a FOH and monitor engineer, stagehands and backline techs?
All of our engineers are required to know how to do both jobs and do it well. Just because a soldier may be hired as an engineer doesn’t mean it will be his only job or position. You can be called upon to assist with the staging/backline team, or be the RF guru, or be the systems tech. Our mission is to do whatever it takes to make each mission successful. Here in the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” it is not like it is in civilian situations where the audio crew doesn’t get involved with lights or scenery. Here we all jump in and help each other in our own “trenches.”
What benefits do you receive by doing audio for the military rather than private life?
As soldiers we receive all the benefits of military service; retirement eligibility after twenty years of service, medical and dental benefits, 30 days annual vacation, Post 9/11 GI Bill, college tuition, and a very steady salary!
Do you do much traveling in combat zones?
Since we are officially the “Chief of Staff of the Army Band,” we do very little long-distance traveling and, at the moment, there are no plans for us to go overseas. It’s great doing shows here in the U.S., but it’s a great going overseas to perform for soldiers stationed in remote areas with no live entertainment and with minimal access to the phone and Internet. For an hour or so, they forget where they have been for six to 12 months, and seeing how happy, excited and relaxed they become makes it all worth it!
Do you see active combat as an audio engineer?
You definitely can. If we go into a combat zone, we carry a weapon every second of the day. It doesn’t matter if we are going to the USO or MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation), HQ (Headquarters) or the DFAC (Dining Facility). A weapon is mandatory, since anything can happen at any time. We can be in a convoy from base A to base B to do a show and bullets can start flying. The last time I was in Iraq, we were on a FOB (Forward Operating Base) with our rock band, Downrange. We were set up right next to the perimeter wall, and I set up the FOH about 75 feet in front of that. At one point, I looked up and realized that anyone could just walk on the other side of the wall and toss a grenade over onto the band, and that would be the end of our tour. We are not there to fight, but we are prepared to do so if called upon, so we have our weapons on stage and at the soundboard.
Have you ever felt unsafe? Are you armed at all times?
Since “Pershing’s Own” is basically a stateside operation, our need for weapons and protective gear is almost zero. Only the eight times we supported the USO Tour during the holidays have we gone into an area where we might see armed action, and even then, I personally felt safe enough. Only then did we carry firearms, body armor, helmets and tactical gear. We are a deployable unit, and when we did deploy, there were some interesting times! Once we were waiting for our “rides” — two Blackhawks: one for our gear and the other for the soldiers. It was late night after a concert, the” birds” were late, and we were holed up “outside the fence” in the LZ (Landing Zone) when local nationals just happened to come cruising by. Thankfully, nothing happened, but we had that weird feeling someone was looking at us checking out what we were up to. It pays to be prepared and vigilant out there.
Do you have a crew specifically traveling with you to set and strike gear?
There are 16 soldiers assigned to the technical crew for “Pershing’s Own” — half are mixers and the other half are staging, lighting and multimedia technicians. We do travel as a team and work together in setting up every show. It really is teamwork that gets it done, and we trust each other to do each job to make this happen.
