Posted by Lee Stofer on October 30, 2002 at 08:08:16:
In Reply to: Shortage of Military Musicians? posted by Steve Marcus on October 26, 2002 at 11:16:59:
As others have said, the US Government is just trying to live up to giving veteran's families what they said they would. It is a difficult task at best, since the workload for a military bugler(trumpeter) can vary greatly.
While at the 101st Airborne Band in the early 1980's, the Band's performance would often suffer, as we might have half of the trumpet section missing, out on funeral details throughout Kentucky and Tennessee. I particularly remember one ceremony we performed with no trumpets in the Band at all. Bands have been so tasked at certain times that doublers have occasionally been used. In fact, I played the requisite Taps on a soprano brass thingie for half-a-dozen military funerals while in the Army. The reason they won't hire more trumpeters to do the gigs is the prohibitive cost, and the fact that in some locales, they might have nothing to do for days on end, when there are no funerals.
I must say, based upon my experiences on a funeral detail, I have the utmost in respect for the guys and gals that do that on a daily basis. I found it to be extremely emotionally taxing.
Lee Stofer