A MUSICAL VOYAGE - Royal Australian Navy

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To utilise our time we held an impromptu concert at Camp Baker the Australian compound.
This was an ideal opportunity for us to run through the show and get in a rehearsal session.
The Australians based in Kandahar were invited to attend and the show was greatly
appreciated.
Saturday, 5 April saw us arrive in Kabul. The weather was a lot cooler with snow on the
mountain tops. The terrain was very mountainous. With the high altitude it was very
noticeable even when breathing. Due to the high risk in the area, it was decided that we
perform at the airport and that it was safer for the Australian troops to be transported to
us rather than us to them. We performed in the Dutch recreation area which was a very
homely building with a bar computers etc. The audience was made up of mainly Australians
and Dutch with a few American troops. Our first official show went over extremely well.
The placed rocked and we received a lot of positive feedback from our first Blues Brothers
Show.
Sunday 6 April saw another change to our itinerary. Instead of returning to Kandahar we
were diverted to Tarin Kowt. Everyone was excited with the news. Tarin Kowt was home of
most of the Aussie troops in Afghanistan. The base is in a valley surrounded by impressive
mountains and the terrain was hilly with powder like dust. The weather was a lot hotter
than Kabul. We rigged up on the back of a large semi-trailer.
On Monday 7 April was one of the many highlights of our trip. In the morning we visited a
Trade School which was set up by Australian troops who taught Afghan children trades in
carpentry and plumbing. We spent a couple of hours mixing with the local kids and
watching them at work. The Trade School is one of the success stories of the work which is
being carried out in Afghanistan. A tour of the Tarin Kowt area and a weapons and vehicle
demonstration was organised. It was very informative and gave us the opportunity to
experience the life of a soldier. Our second show in Tarin Kowt started well however 10
minutes into the show we had a problem with the power. After a 40 minute delay and a lot
of luck it was show on again. The show went over very well with a lot of complimentary
feedback.
It was hard to believe that our time in Afghanistan had come to an end. Everyone was so
happy to have had the opportunity to visit Tarin Kowt. We had the opportunity to view the
rugged terrain and the conditions that our fighting troops live in every day. After a refuel
stop in Kandahar we left Afghan airspace and headed to our next destination.
After arriving in our new destination it was all hands on deck. Time had got away and we
only had one hour to set up and sound check. The base is the main airbase for the American
Air Force. We played to approximately 2000 servicemen who loved the show. After the
show we were invited to the Australian compound for a cocktail party.
We departed AM the following day heading for Kuwait. Twenty minutes into our flight we
had engine trouble and we had to return to our original destination. After a two hour delay
we were back in the air heading for Kuwait. Returning to Kuwait was like coming home.
We had spent so much time in and out of Kuwait and because we were able to keep our
accommodation it was very comfortable returning there. It also marked the end of the first
leg of our trip. We rigged up in fat alley which is the fast food area of Ali Al Salem airbase.
We played to yet another very enthusiastic audience.
Thursday 10 April saw the start of the second leg of the tour into Iraq. There was much
excitement as we boarded the C130 for the 90 minute flight into Baghdad. We stayed at
Camp Victory which houses nine of Saddam Hussein palaces and is the Headquarters for the
American and Australian forces. The area is made up of man-made lakes surrounded by
impressive buildings including the War Cabinet Room of the Iraqi Army. We were fortunate
to tour the Palaces including the Al Faw Palace which is now the Headquarters of the
American forces. A lot of the buildings have been affected by bombs in the initial attack in
2003. Another highlight was a tour of the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) training
facility. This facility trains soldiers in identifying IED’s as well as responding and defusing
these dangerous devises.
Royal Australian Navy Band: A Musical Voyage