The Graduation Parade

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Army, army band, band, Classical Music, concert band, graduation, marches, marching band, military band, Music, parade, review, sousa, trombone, veterans, West Point, west point graduation, wind ensemble, work

Around this time eight years ago, several of my colleagues asked if I was ready for my first graduation week. They did so with a smirk, like they knew something I didn’t. I assured them I would be just fine. After all, I was familiar with music’s role for a university graduation. At Indiana, the band had a brief rehearsal before playing a few tunes for the brief ceremony. No big deal. I assumed West Point was no different. My first graduation week at the academy culminated in my playing Hail to the Chief for the President of the United States, who was about 20 yards away. I realized graduation at West Point was different.

So yes, this week at West Point is a big deal. It’s not only playing for heads of state—the band is involved in parade reviews, chamber performances, award ceremonies, banquets, and a formal dance. It’s a demanding week for us. My esteemed colleague Sam wrote about the effort he puts forth keeping his chops in shape. I can empathize. In fact, there’s a myriad of challenges the week brings a musician. Since there are only so many hours in the day, I’ll just write about one: the graduation parade.

The West Point Band performs a “Sound Off” in the 2012 graduation parade.

Parades by nature are difficult. At West Point there is a high standard of playing and a high standard of marching. We do both at the same time. What makes the graduation parade more daunting? For one, it’s lengthy. By the end of the parade, I’m gassed. So there’s the endurance issue. It’s also high profile (duh), so there’s a bit of added pressure. For me, the biggest challenge is the Graduation March.

Graduation March is one of two pieces we play as we march across the West Point plane in front of high-ranking officers and thousands in attendance. It’s a medley of tunes, many specific to West Point, skillfully arranged together and performed every year during graduation week. It’s a difficult piece played sitting down. (It’s particularly demanding for the trumpet section. They remind me of this often, just in case I forgot.) When marching is added to the equation, it’s nearly impossible. Additionally, the band does fancy moves like counter-columns (look them up, they’re really cool) and right-turns (no move in marching terrifies me more than a right turn.) This year, I memorized the tune. This allows me to focus more on my steps while still playing the difficult, yet rewarding, Graduation March. I hope the extra work is worth it, because when done well, the graduation parade is nothing short of spectacular.

Even though it’s demanding, the graduation parade is my favorite of the year. There are no words to describe playing in front of a standing-room crowd surrounding the West Point plane. In addition to the energy of the audience, I am motivated by what the parade represents: the final parade review at West Point for the graduating cadets. My colleagues and I are honored to play a significant role at such a meaningful event.

Words by Staff Sgt. Phil Stehly
Images by Staff Sgt. Mikki Skinner and Staff Sgt. Chrissy Clark

A Behind the Scenes Look at the Benny Havens Band

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Army, army band, Army Jazz Band, band, Benny Havens, Benny Havens Band, BHB, big band, Cover Band, Dance, Dance Band, guitar, Hop, Jazz, Jazz knights, Long Day, military band, Music, Roadie, Setup, Teardown, USMAPS, veterans, West Point, west point graduation, work

Graduating from West Point—Let’s face it … it’s a pretty big deal. With four years of intense training/education to become an officer in the United States Army, I’d say graduation brings a sigh of relief and a huge sense of accomplishment for any cadet.

The Benny Havens Band at the USMAPS Hop

For the West Point Band, graduation week means numerous cadet events that require our support. We support everything parades on the plain with the marching band to awards convocations with smaller ensembles such as a brass quartet, jazz quartet, or small ceremonial ensemble. In addition to cadet graduation, we also support the United States Military Academy Prep School (USMAPS) graduation exercises. USMAPS used to reside at Ft. Monmouth, NJ, but is just now ending its second academic year on the grounds of West Point.

Besides our ceremonial ensembles, we have the Benny Havens Band (BHB) to handle the cadet hops during grad week and at various other times throughout the cadet academic year. The BHB is our “popular music” ensemble comprised of two singers, four horns, piano, bass, drums, guitar, and auxiliary electronics (all of whom are members of the Jazz Knights).

This past Friday night, the Benny Havens Band performed at the USMAPS Graduation hop. If you attended this event, what you saw walking into the Eisenhower Hall Ballroom was a large number of decorated tables and a stage all set up for a live band. Then after dinner, speeches, and a short video presentation, you may have danced to songs by Pink, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, and Journey to name a few, all performed by the BHB. After a couple sets of crowd-pleasing-get-them-out-of-their-seats dance tunes, you and the rest of your party departed the room heading for the elevators.  You may have even been singing the last song performed by this great band all the way to your car all-the while thinking about what a great evening of food, music, and companionship with your loved ones who are soon to be West Point Cadets.

Staff Sgt. Mark Tonelli performs at the USMAPS Hop

But what you didn’t see was what this talented group of musicians goes through to bring you a stellar performance. Learning the songs is the first step, which is done in advance of a performance, and with this group, is usually quite fast. Everything is written out, which makes learning the songs fast when you put them in front of a group of musicians who can read well. The most time consuming part comes for whoever is writing it out.

Then there’s the operations side of things, which involves contacting the USMAPS representative in charge of the event and making sure everything is in place for a successful event. My wife, Carla Loy Song, is one of the singers in the BHB and handles most of the operations for the group, which starts weeks in advance of each event, and involves multiple correspondences with the point of contact.

That brings us to the day of the event. This past Friday we began our setup process 10 hours before our downbeat! The day began with a designated person from the BHB picking up a large box truck to transport a very large amount of equipment, which includes audio equipment, drums, keyboards, music stands, amplifiers, and a large array of lighting. It’s sort of a four-phase process. Phase one includes getting equipment from the third floor of our band building down to the first floor by way of a freight elevator and then loading it onto the big box truck.

Once loaded, we move to phase two, which is transporting it over to the location of the performance and then unloading it. Then after multiple trips up another freight elevator, we move to phase three, the setting up of the equipment, which is quite a daunting task just on its own.  Once everything is unpacked and placed on stage and all the cables and extension cords have been run, phase four takes place: the sound check. The audio engineer takes over at this point and checks all the mics (drums, vocals, horns, etc) and this is followed by a full band sound check. If satisfied and everything is working correctly, the band is released until the call time before the downbeat. This entire process usually takes about three to three and a half hours. This particular set up time was quite a bit earlier than normal because the cadets needed the room for a mid-afternoon rehearsal.

The actual performance lasts about three hours. At the conclusion, the band quickly changes out of uniform and begins the load-out process, which is pretty much the load-in process in reverse. By this time it is usually after 11 p.m. and the band has just been jumping around stage (rocking out, if you will) for the past three hours, but the job continues and we persevere to break down the stage and load out as quickly and efficiently as possible. This is where workingas a team becomes critical. Many of the band members have specified jobs in the set-up and tear-down processes, and everyone works together, loads the elevator, loads the truck, then unloads the truck at the band building, which usually takes us to right around 12:30 or 1:00 a.m. It is a long day for sure, but worth it for what the cadets, their dates, and their families get out of the process.

So there you have a brief overview ofour logistical performance process. The West Point Band requires many different hats, not just in terms of the myriad of musical styles and configurations, but also in our non-musical roles as photographers, audio assistants, blog writers, operations, publicity (to name just a few), and of course … roadies.

Words by Staff Sgt. David Loy Song
Images by Staff Sgt. Mikki Skinner and David Loy Song

Chop Survival During Graduation Week

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Army, army band, band, Clarinet, Classical Music, graduation, marches, marching band, military band, Music, sousa, trombone, West Point, west point graduation, wind ensemble, work

One of the biggest challenges for me during graduation week is keeping my chops feeling good. We play a number of long performances during the week, and also have rehearsals for each performance scattered throughout the week. During graduation week, we play everything from formal military parades to chamber music, and each different job effects your chops in a different way.

During graduation week, there are two full-brigade reviews, meaning, the entire Corps of Cadets will be marching onto and off of the plain. Usually parades only use half of the cadets at any given time, so the parades during graduation week are nearly twice as long as usual. A full-brigade review is an impressive sight, seeing over 4,000 cadets march onto a previously empty field, only to march off an hour and a half later is something that everyone should witness at some point in life. It is a ceremony that is largely unchanged since the Revolutionary War.

Playing such a long parade is tiring for a musician. Anytime a group of cadets is moving, we are playing, and there is a lot of movement going on for the duration of the parade. Marches are also some of the most strenuous pieces to play, since there are rarely any rests for anyone. Playing on the field, you are also playing much louder for much longer than you usually would. By the time the end of the parade rolls around, my face is usually completely shot.

Staff Sgt. Torin Olsen performs at Graduation.

On the Friday before graduation day, that becomes a real challenge for me. In addition to playing clarinet in the concert and marching bands, I also perform in the West Point Woodwind Quintet. The evening before graduation the cadets and their families all come to Washington Hall for the graduation banquet. A small band will play entrance music while everyone files into the vast space that it Washington Hall. The band makes quite a bit of noise in the cavernous space, so during dinner, a woodwind quintet will typically perform dinner music. For me, this means after playing the morning parade, I will play some marches and entrance music, and then quickly leave for a central location in Washington Hall to play dinner music with the rest of the West Point Woodwind Quintet. During dinner, we will play 45 minutes or so of background music. Trying to be a sensitive chamber musician after marching a very long parade, and then playing a bunch of concert marches is a serious challenge. Doing it well is what separates Army special bandspeople from regular musicians.

During the week, I do several things to keep my chops feeling good. The most effective thing is often counter-intuitive. When my face is totally exhausted, and I feel like I couldn’t play another note, I go into the practice room and play some long tones. It is painful to do this, and takes some serious willpower to even get started, but after 20 minutes or so of concentrating on all aspects of my embouchure, I am in a much better place to tackle the next task, whatever it may be. I also take some time and do some breathing exercises. Nothing works properly on the clarinet without a good air column, so taking the time to do that correctly makes a world of difference. Breathing exercises are great because you can do them anywhere. I personally like these exercises by Arnold Jacobs.

In the end, graduation week is a taxing time for any band member. We are very busy during the week with many different kinds of commitments. I’m sure every band member has their own way of coping with the demands of performing at the highest level throughout the week. This is just a small look at what I do to keep in top form.

Words by Sgt. 1st Class Sam Kaestner

 

Graduation Week is Coming!

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Army, army band, band, Classical Music, concert band, graduation, hat toss, marches, marching band, military band, Music, veterans, West Point, west point graduation, wind ensemble, work

West Point cadets toss their hats in the air at graduation 2012.

Late May is a special time at West Point. For the Firstie cadets, known as seniors at most other colleges, it is graduation time. Many faculty members also leave the post to other assignments within the Army. For the band, it is a very, very busy time. As of today, there are 56 commitments for the unit in the 7 days that make up graduation week. Those events include rehearsals, marching drills, receptions, concerts, and graduation itself. Events start as early as 5:15 a.m. and go on well into the night on some days. This week is absolutely where the West Point Band puts all of its diverse talents on display.

Over the next few weeks, we will bring you several stories of what graduation week is like from the band member’s perspective. Stay tuned for good stories from inside the West Point Band.

What a National TV Appearance is Like for the Band

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Army, army band, band, Classical Music, concert band, hiring our heroes, job fair, marches, marching band, military band, Music, sousa, veterans, wait, waiting, West Point, wind ensemble, work

Last month, the band performed for a Hiring our Heroes job fair at the Lexington Ave. Armory in NYC. The event was designed to connect veterans and their spouses with companies looking to hire, helping to combat the high unemployment rate among veterans. It was a great gig, and parts of our performance were broadcast nationally on NBC’s Today. I wanted to take our readers through what a gig like this truly entails for the Soldier performing.

The West Point Band performing at Hiring Our Heroes. Photo by Staff Sgt. Chrissy Clark

Most band members began their day sometime between 2 and 2:30 a.m. for the 3:30 a.m. bus departure to the armory. Being in the Army, we are used to early mornings, but 2 a.m. is pretty early, even by Army standards. There was an uneventful bus ride to NYC and we were at the armory by 5:00 a.m., while most of NYC was still asleep. It was eerie to see the streets of lower Manhattan totally deserted. Once arriving at the armory, there was a fair bit of down time. We always leave ourselves plenty of extra time in case there is traffic or any other difficulty in arriving at our gig. We changed into uniform and readied ourselves to perform a sound check and our first spot for NBC at around 6 a.m.

Waiting between TV spots

We performed a portion of a couple of different marches, while standing in the middle of the Lexington Ave. Armory. Camera operators walked around and through our formation while we played. At times, we performed with the camera inches from our faces or instruments. Having a camera that close to you makes you glad you took the extra time to have your uniform in order. After a few brief moments, we were done. Anytime we perform for a national TV audience, it’s a great gig. This particular performance was a bit unique in that we made it on national TV before 6 a.m.

After our TV spot, we had time to kill, but no real knowledge of how much time to kill. We were given an area in the basement of the armory to wait, and even some coffee. Not knowing when you have to perform next makes for a challenging situation, especially when the next note you play could be heard by millions of people. Our Drum Major, Sgt. Major Jones was doing his best to find out from the NBC producers when we would next be on the air so that we all had enough time to form up upstairs for our next spot.

Waiting between TV spots

So, like many things in the Army, gigs like this are a very high stakes game of “hurry up and wait.” That is a phrase often heard in the Army … we have to be at X location in 15 minutes, so let’s double time it, only to find out that the people meeting you at said location won’t be there for three hours.

Waiting between TV spots in the weight room at the Lexington Ave. Armory.

That much waiting around also makes for a challenging chop situation. With no real knowledge of when you will play next, it’s tough to keep your chops totally warm all the time. This is again a challenge, because to sound and feel your best, your face must be totally warm. Another challenge of waiting so long is keeping your uniform looking good. Sitting down for long periods of time while wearing a highly pressed uniform do nothing to make it look better. However, when we form up to perform, everything must look immaculate.

All in all, the event was a tremendous success. The band performed for thousands of veterans attending the job fair, performed at the official ceremony during the job fair, attended by Medal of Honor winner Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer, and played to a national TV audience. Hiring our Heroes is doing good and important work, and I was impressed with the diversity of companies looking to hire veterans.

End of April Wrap-up

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Army, army band, ballet, band, Classical Music, concert band, marching band, Music, New Jersey, Newark, NJ, Pit, Pit Band, West Point, West Point Band, wind ensemble, work

I attended Indiana University, home of one of the largest college opera program in the world. (In fact, it might be the largest.) IU does 10 full productions each year. In my five years there, I played zero. The reason was sheer chance … I somehow always ended up in the orchestra that played that semester’s ballet.

After eight years in the West Point Band, I just finished my second ballet performance. My opera tally remains at zero. I am happy about this. I prefer the brief, tuneful melodies of a ballet than the sprawled out, often-overly-dramatic opera. It’s a personal preference.

We performed with Newark-based New Jersey Ballet. We also played with them last year, marking the first collaboration of the two world-class organizations. It was also the first time New Jersey Ballet performed with a military band. I’m thrilled they asked us back. This year, we played Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, Nelson’s Courtly Airs and Dances, selections from Persichetti’s Divertimento, and a pair of pieces by Morton Gould: American Salute and Interplay. The latter is a piano concerto performed by our magnificent pianist, Staff Sergeant Yalin Chi.

Lt. Col. Keene conducts the West Point Band in the pit at NJPAC.

 

The performance was held at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Awesome doesn’t do the facility justice. As I sat in the dress rehearsal, I realized I was playing standard band repertoire for a professional dance company in a world-class concert hall. It was one of those moments where I remembered why I went into music.

Staff Sgt. Andrew Garcia performing on stage with the NJ Ballet

An added bonus: as a rabid New Jersey Devils fan, it is always a thrill driving by Prudential Center, home of my favorite hockey team. It’s another world-class venue in downtown Newark, and just a few blocks away from the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Too bad my Devils missed the playoffs this year …

Following the excitement of the ballet, we performed our annual “Young Artists Concert” at West Point. This year we featured two winners: Mirana Stoker on piano, and Amanda Kim on flute. Both soloists performed wonderfully. Truly inspiring.

Amanda Kam performs Chaminade

There is a lot of scrutiny on young people these days. I often hear things like “the future is bleak” and “kids in this country won’t amount to anything.” I wish those critics would have been at our concert this past weekend. I came out of this concert thinking the future has never been brighter. And I feel that way every year after hearing these young musicians.

Mirana Stoker performs Mozart

This concert was a nice reminder of the importance of arts in education. I grew up in Kansas City, but had I lived in the Hudson Valley, perhaps I would have been a young artist soloist with the band. Growing up in a non-musical house, I’m not sure I would have been introduced to classical music had band not been offered at my school. Who knows what I would be doing for a living? Music education taught me so much: creativity, work-ethic, teamwork … things that cannot be measured in a standardized test. This year’s young artist winners reminded me of this. I’m proud to be a musician and I’m proud of our youth.

April has been a good month in the West Point Band—ballet, young artists, and this weekend we’re returning to the West Point plain for a parade. Let the good times ensue.

Words by Staff Sgt. Phil Stehly

Working with Lenny Pickett

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Army, army band, band, big band, guitar, Jazz, Jazz knights, lead trumpet, Lenny Pickett, Music, Saturday Night Live Band, Saxophone, SNL, SNL Band, trombone, trumpet, West Point

Lenny Pickett and the Jazz Knights

 

For those of you keeping score, you know that we had the great Lenny Pickett in to do a reading session with us (the Jazz Knights) about two weeks ago. Well, it was a great success! Members of the Cadet Jazz Forum were in attendance and asked a myriad of great questions, all of which were answered thoroughly and in very entertaining fashion by Lenny Pickett.

We read through ten of his charts, some of which were his compositions arranged by others; some were his compositions that he arranged for the Saturday Night Live Band, the Borneo Horns, or Tower of Power. He shared stories about the origin of each composition accompanied usually by an anecdote about a situation from behind the scenes at NBC and the Saturday Night Live show. It was all very interesting and entertaining!

Although the music wasn’t necessarily what the Jazz Knights are used to playing, I think all of us left the session with a sense of satisfaction, having played through Lenny’s music and listened to him play his virtuosic altissimo lines. But even more than that, he really dug the band! In fact, on the last chart, as the session was winding to a close, we played through Tower of Power’s hit song What is Hip. We let alto saxophonist Staff Sgt. Derrick James loose for an extended solo and Lenny was into it so much that he took a video of it on his phone! All in all it was a great day that will hopefully formulate a musical relationship between the West Point Band and Lenny Pickett and the Saturday Night Live Band. Who knows, maybe there will be a guest appearance by the Jazz Knights on SNL someday…wishful thinking…

Words by Staff Sgt. David Loy Song

For Women’s History Month

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Army, army band, audio, audio engineer, band, Classical Music, concert band, grammy, marches, Music, recording, sousa, West Point, women's history, women's history month, work

As Women’s History Month draws to a close, we will present two very different views of what it is like to be a woman in the West Point Band. The first comes from one of the band’s audio engineers, Staff Sgt. Brandie Lane.

Staff Sgt. Lane teaching a seminar at NYU.

One of the best things about being a woman in the audio industry is never waiting in a line for the bathroom at conventions. Bathroom humor aside, I am very lucky. I work in a field for which I have absolute love and passion. What many people consider a hobby, I consider a career. I’ve had the pleasure of working with the most talented people in the music business, been recognized as a Grammy winning engineer, and been trusted to inspire and educate future members of this industry. These opportunities are vastly different from the stereotypical memories that many women audio engineers (including myself) have. These memories include weird looks when seen behind a mixing board or setting up a speaker…usually followed by the statements: “isn’t that too heavy for you?” and “you don’t see that very often” as if describing a teacup poodle running with a pack of wolves. Instead of taking these moments as insults, I took them as fuel. This fuel was used to work harder and be the ultimate professional. The goal was not to prove anyone wrong, but to gain respect and to be hired again.

The main responsibilities of an audio engineer include dealing with the technical aspects of the recording and/or sound reinforcement process: setting up gear, turning knobs, knowing the software, and artistically enhancing the recording or reinforcement as necessary. These responsibilities are gender neutral…meaning, there are not gender specific awards for recording or engineering, I don’t sign as “Brandie Lane, Female Audio Engineer”, and there are no music reviews referencing the “feminine recording quality” of an album or concert.

However, being a minority in a professional field comes with many unwritten guidelines. There’s not a real chance of blending in and most actions are automatically under an imaginary microscope. There’s a spotlight that seems to magically cut on when asked a simple question and the example is set in the answer. For instance, people usually don’t want to hear from the 8^th place finisher in a NASCAR race. However, when that driver is the only one with long brown hair and makeup, it’s a big deal. Throw in some digicam and combat boots to this equation…you might as well have a red-headed black sheep.

After the perplexed looks have faded, I always enjoy answering questions about my job as audio engineer in the United States Military Academy Band, being an active duty solider, not a cadet, who sets up speakers, and stands behind a mixing board, and works in a recording studio, in the Army, and went to basic training, and went to college for music engineering technology at the University of Miami, and yes…really went to basic training, and wears a uniform, and no…it’s not too heavy. It gives me a chance to show the public my passion for everything audio and to set a positive example for future audio engineers, minority or majority.

So, I’ll keep walking into that empty bathroom at the audio convention every year…and out of instinct, I’ll slowly open the swinging door so I don’t have a repeat offense of slamming some poor woman in the face who’s strategically wedged herself between the door hinge and hand dryer.  Then, I’ll tune my senses to the nearest opening stall door, ready to play a game of musical chairs with the former tenant, the person behind me ready to pull a secret ninja move to the stall if I look down at my shoe, and the person who I thought was next, but they’re “just waiting for someone”. However, these instincts won’t be necessary. It will be an odd, yet reflective, moment as a woman in the audio industry as I realize there’s no one around me …just many porcelain options.

Words by Staff Sgt. Brandie Lane

 

 

 

 

 

 

West Point Band to Peform on NBC’s “Today Show”

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Army, army band, band, Classical Music, concert band, early morning, hiring our heroes, intrepid, marches, marching band, Music, NBC, today, today show, veterans, West Point, work

The West Point Band performs on the deck of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space museum.

The West Point Band will be featured on Wednesday’s “Today Show” on NBC. We’ll be performing as part of the “Hiring Our Heroes” campaign, a terrific program raising awareness on the challenges our veterans face finding employment in the civilian sector.

We performed on the same program last year. My parents were so excited they bought a DVR device to capture the action. I’ll be setting mine on Wednesday, as it’s not every day I’m on national television.

Last year we played on top of the Intrepid aircraft carrier. It was cold and windy, but what an experience. This year I’m told we’ll be indoors. An armory display, perhaps? We rehearsed the music earlier today. There will be marches, there will be patriotic tunes, there will be ceremonial music. Pretty much the quintessential military band experience.

While it’s easy to get caught up in the thrill of performing on national television, I can’t lose perspective of the bigger picture: we’re playing as part of “Hiring Our Heroes.” There’s nothing more important and rewarding than serving our veterans.

Here’s a link to “Hiring Our Heroes.” Check it out. And be sure to set your DVRs Wednesday morning. (Or watch us live. Either way!)

Hiring Our Heroes

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armory, Army, army band, hiring our heroes, job fair, jobs, marches, marching band, Music, veterans, veterans jobs, vets, West Point, work

The West Point Band is honored to be a part of the annual Hiring Our Heroes fair on March 27, 2013 at the 69^th Regiment Armory in New York City. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce started the Hiring Our Heroes program in 2011 as a nationwide initiative to help veterans and military spouses find meaningful employment after military service. Transitioning out of the military can be overwhelming, especially with the added stress of finding a job. The current unemployment rate for veterans is higher than the national average, and our nation’s heroes deserve better. Thanks to Hiring Our Heroes, more than 18,400 veterans and military spouses have been hired by over 1,050 businesses as of the end of last year. To date, the program has hosted more than 400 fairs in all 50 states, and it hopes to host at least 400 fairs in 2013.

The success of Hiring our Heroes has lead to the launching of similar programs and initiatives, such as Hiring 500,000 Heroes, a program dedicated to engage the business community to hire half a million veterans and military spouses by the end of 2014. Another initiative is VetNet, an online resource designed to help combine all resources, tools, and instruction for helping service members find the right careers as they transition out of the military. Our nation’s veterans have undergone years of the best training and possess many exceptional skills, making them valuable to any business.

This marks the second year that the West Point Band has participated in Hiring Our Heroes in New York City, hosted in partnership with TODAY. Last year, the band performed on the TODAY show on the windswept deck of the USS Intrepid.  More than 1,500 job seekers and 100 employers were in attendance, and this year’s fair hopes to bring in even more.  In attendance this year will be Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Dakota Meyer; Major General Patrick A. Murphy, Adjutant General of New York; and Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Schmiegel (Ret.), Executive Director of Hiring Our Heroes, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and 20-year Marine veteran.

Words by Staff Sgt. Scott Beaver