Military duty delays Matt Query’s hopes to rejoin AAMB
Trombonist offers thoughts from Kuwait to students attending Band Camp

The one person who was most looking forward to the Purdue “All-American” Marching Band’s annual band camp, the one person who’d consider marching in the heat of an Indiana August a breeze compared to what he’s been through, will not be able to report on Aug. 18.

SFC Matthew Query, who reported for active duty in Kuwait and Iraq the day after he marched at the Sun Bowl on Jan. 1, 2003, is still on the other side of the world with his Indiana Army National Guard Unit. Temperatures reach 120 every day where he’s currently stationed in Kuwait and they haven’t seen a drop of rain in more than two months.

“I’ve heard it’ll be between 130 and 140 in August. THAT would be a hellish band camp, wouldn’t it,” says Query whose sense of humor has stayed with him.

For the senior trombone player from Vincennes, thoughts of his family, friends and activities he loved back home – especially the “All-American” Marching Band – helped get him through the rough spots. It was definitely rough the day Patriot missiles were “killing” SCUDS right over the heads of his unit, Query says, and when the vehicle he was on drove through the middle of a minefield, barely missing a mine by less than a foot.

From the beginning Query had his sights set on marching this fall and every email he wrote home talked about it. In March, he wrote: “There are always rumors flying, but I still have my hopes set on 180 days instead of 360. That would put me back 1 July and I could be a part of the band that I miss so much,” he wrote.

That was before he got sent to Iraq, and before the peace turned out to be anything but peaceful. Currently Query’s company secures the U.S. air force base in Kuwait used by troops entering and leaving Iraq.

If his current Nov. 17 redeployment date holds, the only chance he’d probably have to see his girlfriend Danielle Donovan in her new role as Drum Major of the “All-American” Marching Band, something she won auditioned for and won while he was away, would be at a bowl game.

When Query does return – he now has his hopes set on concert band in the spring semester – his experiences will provide his fellow bandsmen with a look at Iraq and the war that goes behind the news headlines.

National Guardsmen often get involved in humanitarian work and Query found that to be one of the most meaningful of his experiences overseas.

“While in Iraq I was fortunate enough to be able to do some humanitarian relief for Iraqi families that were near us,” he says. Poor, simple farm families, they lived in mud huts with no running water, gas or electricity.

Query, and his fellow guardsmen saved uneaten MREs (meals-ready-to-eat) and took them, along with bottled water, out to these families. “They loved us for it. Every time we went out there, they wanted us to sit down and have ‘tchai’ or tea with them. Often we accepted. We would talk to them, they in their broken English and we in our VERY broken Arabic. Somehow, we managed to have great conversations with them. I also heard their stories of oppression by Sadam’s regime,” he says.

“They helped us keep the shepherds and other migrant families away from our positions. It was a very good relationship. They live such hard lives. Most live without shoes and we attempted to find some old Iraqi soldiers’ shoes for them.

“This made me reaffirm my belief in how lucky I am to live in a free country and to be able to have all that I could ask for. Also, being near places where live rounds, bombs and rockets were going off made my value my life, my family and my friends so much more.”

One meaningful marching band tradition, “I Am An American,” crossed Query’s mind while overseas, especially while watching July 4 activities on television. “Every time I heard a patriotic song, I got tears in my eyes. I am sure I’ll shed tears when I hear the marching band play their rendition of ‘I Am An American.’ I will be reminded of all the struggles and hardships that not only I went through, but all the servicemen and women went through, and have gone through to win us our more than 200 years of freedom.”

As he thinks about coming home, Query realizes there are indeed aspects of his band experience that have paid off in his military career. To be successful in either you need discipline and dedication, he says. “It takes a very disciplined and dedicated person to join the military, just as it does to join the “All-American” Marching Band. We do it for the love of our country, and the love of music, respectively. Without these qualities, we would succeed in neither.”
For all the freshman and upperclassmen coming to band camp Aug. 18, whose place Query who love to be in, he offers these thoughts:

Matt's company on a bombed out Iraqi bunker

SURVIVING: Physically you have to be acclimated to the heat and humidity. Make sure to drink plenty of water. It would help to start running before band camp to get your endurance up. Any upperclassman will tell you that run-on works even the most in-shape person, and practices need to stay high speed. If you’re out of shape, you’ll not only slow yourself down, but 349 other people.

Mentally, just stay motivated and never give up on yourself. You’ll come across many new things in a college band and you may have a bad day when learning a new style or step. If you give up mentally, you’ll never make it physically. No matter how bad you think you may have done, it usually just isn’t that bad. Make a mistake, fine. Fix it quickly and maintain your focus, that’s what really makes you stand out from the rest!

Always give 110 percent and try to be flawless every time.

MOST SURPRISING FOR NEWCOMERS: The chair step. I was used to the military step from high school and the chair step was a big change for me. Add in playing, swaggering, marching and horn flashes, and you’ve got a big change from high school.

SCARIEST PART: For freshmen it’s not knowing if you’ll meet the standards with all the upperclassmen around. For upperclassmen is that a freshman will get your spot in the block because they’re afraid of not meeting standards and will try that much harder to be like you.

TRADITIONS: My favorite tradition for the trombones is the run to the airport the morning of tryouts. Other favorites are the bone tree, the bone rock, and of course the “bone-a-pic” party where trombones and piccolos party the night after tryouts!

SPECIAL MEMORIES: After missing a season when I studied abroad in France, my re-entrance to Ross-Ade was very exciting. Every entrance and performance after that was exciting too. You really don’t know what you’re missing in the marching band until you’re not there for a year. Never take the opportunity for granted. Another great memory for me was going down to El Paso for the Sun Bowl. Despite being called to war while there I couldn’t have been in a better place with all my friends before leaving on deployment.

IMPORTANCE OF BAND: I grew up with music and lots of extra curricular activities. If I’m not doing something other than just studying, I would go crazy and have too much time on my hands to find other, less appropriate things to do. It is definitely NOT a distraction. Music has proven to make you more intelligent and I need all the extra help I can get!

PERSONAL NOTE: I just want to thank everyone in the band, all my friends, all the directors and assistant directors, for your support and prayers while I have been over here the past six months. Unfortunately, duty will not allow me to return this marching season, but you can count on me for the next one. You’ve given me countless fabulous memories and made me happy beyond words. I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart and hope to see you soon. I love you all and God Bless America!

When Matt Query returns to Purdue, he will be finishing his studies as a senior majoring in organizational leadership and supervision. Matt is a graduate of Lincoln High School, the son of Dennis and Karen Query of Vincennes.