A Former U.S. Ambassador Writes:

A Marine colonel among the participants pointed out, rather pointedly, that 'all Marines are trained as combat infantrymen.' I believe that is no longer the case, but did not challenge him, replying that I could picture the Band storming a beach. My problem was that I could visualize a bayonet on the end of a trombone, but on a piccolo? And here come the women members, holding up their floor-length black skirts and trying to help the guy struggling through the surf with the harp, impeded by the guys carrying the piano and kettle drums.

I added that no one should ignore the significant contributions made to the defeat of the Soviet Union by the Strolling Strings, the Singing Sergeants, the Navy Gypsy Band. And let's not forget the Airmen of Note, The Army's Madrigal Singers, and all of the others who have placed their fingers, lungs or vocal cords on the altar of Democracy. I carefully, seriously apologized for using humor to make a point (even the colonel smiled), and stressed my complete understanding and acceptance of the fact that you do whatever you are told to do in the service of the nation, to the very best of your ability. I reminded them that Secretary Gates has said there are far more full-time members of vocal and instrumental groups in the military than there are diplomats at State. When you calculate the lifetime costs of all those personnel, and all their dependents, the resulting numbers merit attention. Not because they constitute a really major slice of the overall burden, but because they rather compellingly demonstrate the impact of the growth syndrome resulting from the availability of all those billions. The size of the DOD budget demands tough, careful, constant, across the board control and monitoring — and does not get either one.

I would add this thought. From the financial and certainly the operational perspective, musical groups would appear to be infinitely more logical candidates for outsourcing the nation's defense than are security personnel, both at military installations here in the US and, as we should be learning, most definitely in overseas war zones.