USAF band flash mob at Smithsonian

[UH60guy]

Somewhat tangentially related to CAP, but in case you missed it the USAF Band did a flash mob at the Smithsonian Air and Space museum and uploaded it to YouTube yesterday. The museum's always been a favorite of mine, and this would have been fun to see. I wonder what the acoustics were really like in the entrance hall, but they sounded great in Jesu, Boy of Man's Desiring.

The USAF Band Holiday Flash Mob at the National Air and Space Museum 2013

[a2capt]

That must have been fun to pull off.. though I can't believe it's a true flash mob.
Those "Smithsonian Cops" have no sense of humor, no fun sense, and would have put the kabosh on it when the Chello player sat down by the moon rock.

Getting all that stuff into the museum would have taken a few hours, if they had to go through the camera and tripod check BS.


..and that would have been a really fun day to be there. From the looks of the schedule at the end, they'll be there all weekend.

[NIN]

That must have been fun to pull off.. though I can't believe it's a true flash mob.
Those "Smithsonian Cops" have no sense of humor, no fun sense, and would have put the kabosh on it when the Chello player sat down by the moon rock.

Getting all that stuff into the museum would have taken a few hours, if they had to go through the camera and tripod check BS.


..and that would have been a really fun day to be there. From the looks of the schedule at the end, they'll be there all weekend.

A flash mob like that isn't very random. For the spectators, maybe.  But you gotta know that busting out a flash mob in the middle of a train station or something has to have some "OK's" from the cops or something to keep the riot cops from showing up.

[Flying Pig]

I see stuff like that and the first thing that goes through my mind is... "That flute playin' A1C is getting the same GI Bill as the PFC machine gunner in A-stan"  But then again.... Im not nice.

[Ned]

I couldn't help but notice that the band was wearing multiple different uniforms.

And mixed civilian clothes with their uniforms as well.

Why can't they get it together?  One AF should wear one uniform.  Heck, that's why they call it a "UNI-FORM"!

I could see multiple audience members pointing it out to their children.

Took me right out of the performance.

[SARDOC]

I couldn't help but notice that the band was wearing multiple different uniforms.

And mixed civilian clothes with their uniforms as well.

Why can't they get it together?  One AF should wear one uniform.  Heck, that's why they call it a "UNI-FORM"!

I could see multiple audience members pointing it out to their children.

Took me right out of the performance.

Oh see,  Why did you have to go there?

[ProdigalJim]

And just for the record, typically these band members have Bachelor's degrees in Music Performance and often Master's degrees, just to come in (which is why they come in at advanced grade).

A volunteer at my fire house is an E-8 violinist and NCOIC in at the AF band at Andrews.

[MacGruff]

I couldn't help but notice that the band was wearing multiple different uniforms.

And mixed civilian clothes with their uniforms as well.

Why can't they get it together?  One AF should wear one uniform.  Heck, that's why they call it a "UNI-FORM"!

I could see multiple audience members pointing it out to their children.

Took me right out of the performance.

Oh see,  Why did you have to go there?

Jeepers!  Now Shuman14 is going to come in and tell us that they would have looked better in Khakis!!!   

[Eclipse]

I couldn't help but notice that the band was wearing multiple different uniforms.

And mixed civilian clothes with their uniforms as well.

Why can't they get it together?  One AF should wear one uniform.  Heck, that's why they call it a "UNI-FORM"!

So your point is that you think CAP people should just wear whatever they feel like and the uniform
is an aesthetic affectation that we take too seriously?

Agreed - how about we drop to golf shirts for all and move on?

For the record they probably needed 4 Cols and a General to sign off on allowing them to wear
the band-equivalent of a special operators uniform.

[NIN]

Took me right out of the performance.

You know, I said "Someone on CAP-Talk will immediately post 'Look! Look! they're mixing civilian and military clothing! Thats wrong! WRONG!! BURN THEM!!'."   

I had a list of "potential suspects" for that kind of post.

That list did not include your name.  Clearly, I'm not cut out for police work.




They're special ops band members, BTW. Relaxed grooming and uniform standards.

[Panache]

I'm rather impressed and how quickly this morphed into a uniform thread.  Bravo.  Bravo!   :clap:

That being said, this is awesome.  I wish I was there when this happened.

They're special ops band membersoperators, BTW. Relaxed grooming and uniform standards.

FTFY.   

[Al Sayre]

^^ And it's all Ned's fault!   

[Private Investigator]

Jeepers!  Now Shuman14 is going to come in and tell us that they would have looked better in Khakis!!!   

Well I say they look better in khakis too. You have a problem with our Viet Nam era uniform? 

[a2capt]

Well then. .here you go!

For three sawbucks and a fin.. you'll fit right in..

Vintage Cadet Civil Air Patrol Uniform CAP Virginia - FREE SHIPPING!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/151165555780

[johnnyb47]

I couldn't help but notice that the band was wearing multiple different uniforms.

And mixed civilian clothes with their uniforms as well.

Why can't they get it together?  One AF should wear one uniform.  Heck, that's why they call it a "UNI-FORM"!

I could see multiple audience members pointing it out to their children.

Took me right out of the performance.

Well played, sir.
Well played.

I have this mental image of you laughing maniacally just after you clicked 'POST'.

[a2capt]

I have this mental image of you laughing maniacally just after you clicked 'POST'.

Oh, no. That would have started before 'REPLY' was selected, and continued all the way through to that 'POST'.

[SarDragon]

Well then. .here you go!

For three sawbucks and a fin.. you'll fit right in..

Vintage Cadet Civil Air Patrol Uniform CAP Virginia - FREE SHIPPING!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/151165555780

Mid to late '60s vintage. I wore a uniform like that as a cadet, but never wore a Curry ribbon, only Lindbergh and beyond.

[flyboy53]

Well then. .here you go!

For three sawbucks and a fin.. you'll fit right in..

Vintage Cadet Civil Air Patrol Uniform CAP Virginia - FREE SHIPPING!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/151165555780

Mid to late '60s vintage. I wore a uniform like that as a cadet, but never wore a Curry ribbon, only Lindbergh and beyond.

Hate to be the spoiler on this e-bay uniform, but the insignia's wrong. The uniform is the 505 Khakis worn in the mid 1960s. For the uniform to be correct, the cut outs need to be C.A.PC. and there is a blue and cloth  bar above the pocket that says Cadet Civil Air Patrol. The cutouts and metal bar are from the early 1970s. Also the correct ribbons would have been the red, white an blue training ribbons. Not the revised cadet ribbons that come out sometime after 1965.  Otherwise, that's a great find.

[SarDragon]

Those ribbons hit the street in Mar '64. The breast plate was introduced in Dec '66. The new cutouts came out in Oct '66. That's a Shade 1 shirt, which was wearable until Jan '68. Given all that, it appears to be a legit combination.

All this info was taken from CAPM 39-1, '61 and '68 versions, and Major Lee Regan's Collectors Catalog.

[sardak]

The USAF band has let on to how they put the "flash mob" together.  http://www.usafband.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123373345

Mike