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Offstage! The Air Force Band--A Family Affair
Posted 4/30/2010 Updated 5/1/2010
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by Technical Sgt. Brooke Emery
The USAF Band
4/30/2010 - BOLLING AFB, D.C. -- For a number of members of The United States Air Force Band, a day at work has become a family affair. Historic Hangar 2 is home to a number of married couples that have found love after they joined the Band. Much like the military at large, married couples serving together face unique challenges and rewards.
Since members of the Band are assigned to Bolling Air Force Base for the entirety of their military careers, members work together closely for long periods of time, making the possibility of a love connection with a co-worker more likely.
Senior Master Sgt. Jennifer Pagnard, director of Marketing and outreach for the Band, puts it this way, "I feel very fortunate that I can work with my husband. When members of the Air Force marry, they are often faced with the challenge of living apart. In The USAF Band, Washington, D.C., we're in the unique position of being in a 'permanent duty assignment', which means that we don't change duty stations like other Air Force members. In other words, we don't have to face that challenging situation of living apart." Jennifer married Technical Sgt. Christian Pagnard, a trumpet player in the Concert Band, in 2004.
One of the perks of serving together is the mutual understanding that married members have regarding the workplace. Master Sgt. Jennifer Cox, a euphonium player in the Concert Band, is married to Technical Sgt. John Cox, a euphonium player in the Ceremonial Brass. "We share common experiences," she says. "I don't have to explain every detail to him when I tell him a story." However, she says she is thankful they work in separate ensembles. "We don't share the same schedule twenty-four hours a day. That means we actually have something to talk about when we get home."
Master Sgt. Ryan Dolan, who served with his wife Amy for eight years in the Singing Sergeants, found some advantages to working together in the same group. "Going out on the road together often proved to be a nice get away--that is when we could escape ninety or so of our 'closest friends.'"
Though most of the married couples in the Band enjoy working with their spouse, they acknowledge that there are also challenges. When Concert Band member Technical Sgt. Tracey MacDonald married her husband, Airmen of Note member Master Sgt. Brian MacDonald in 2003, she knew that their conflicting tour schedules would cause them to spend some time apart. Now that they have two children, the separations seem even longer. Sgt. MacDonald says that though it is difficult, they are each sympathetic toward each other's situation. "There's a level of understanding about our work and military life that creates a very supportive relationship."
Sgt. Christian Pagnard says one drawback of working with a spouse is the lack of boundaries between work life and home life. "The biggest disadvantage is that it's often hard to leave work at work."
Despite some challenges, most married members agree that serving together has more positives than negatives. Senior Master Sgt. Erica Montgomery, who shared the workplace with her spouse until his recent retirement, offers some encouraging words for her married colleagues, "Sharing music with your spouse at a rehearsal, concert, funeral, or memorial dedication--while performing in driving rain, waiting in traffic jams, or going on tour--you feel very fortunate to not only love what you do, but also to love the person sharing the experiences with you."
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