BATTLE CREEK, Mich –
When people think of career fields the U.S. military trains for, they often think of medicine, aircraft maintenance or even underwater welding. Whatever they imagine, musicians aren’t usually at the top of the list.
The Naval School of Music, located at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story in Virginia Beach, trains selected sailors and Marines in professional-level musicianship.
According to Command Master Chief Scott Helwig, the school regularly updates its inventory of musical instruments to ensure that students maintain access to professional-grade equipment.
Instruments needing replacement are turned over to the Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services property disposal field site in Norfolk for potential reutilization by other commands.
Helwig said the school recently had a large number of instruments to turn in at once due to multiple factors like the impact of the pandemic and manning gaps.
Once the instruments are turned in to DLA Disposition Services, they get “put on the shelf,” meaning they are placed on the agency’s website for reutilization. Each year, military commands save millions of dollars by acquiring still usable equipment turned in as excess to DLA. Items range from the mundane to highly specialized tools and equipment.
This time around, Department of Defense Education Activity schools in Europe requested this batch of musical instruments from the Naval School of Music be transferred to them.
DODEA Europe operates 64 schools in eight countries across four time zones. About 25,000 military-connected children of all ages are currently enrolled.
By taking advantage of DLA’s reutilization program, DODEA was able to acquire the Navy’s excess instruments for their students and, at the same time, reduce procurement costs while enhancing the schools’ instrument collections.
“Part of our mission at DODEA Europe Logistics is the Musical Instrument Repair Facility at Sembach, Germany,” said John Turner, chief of DODEA Europe’s Logistics Division.
“We have four employees who are school-trained professional artisans, and through the supervisor’s contacts and initiative, we have used DLA Disposition Services to transfer over 140 professional-grade musical instruments from the Naval School of Music in Norfolk and DLA locations to us here at Sembach,” Turner said.
“Since 2022, I have been periodically requisitioning equipment from service band turn-ins,” said Ian Thomson, Musical Instrument Repair supervisor.
He said that while the instruments are typically of very high quality, he is still selective in what he requests. Some need full overhauls, while others only need ultrasonic cleaning and routine maintenance.
“The instruments requiring more involved work are usually high-cost, high-value instruments such as bassoons and are worth the effort,” Thomson said. “I intend to continue this initiative.”
Once Thomson and his team are finished with the instruments, Turner said they are loaned, for free, to budding musicians in DODEA schools.
And back at the Naval School of Music, Helwig said, “We are very excited that young musicians in the DOD school music program will get a chance to use these instruments.”