Spotlight: Tech. Sgt. Will McCrary

  • Published
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --

Name and rank: Tech. Sgt. Will McCrary
Duty title: Section chief, Resources
Unit of assignment: Air Force Band of Flight
What do you do at Wright-Patt?
I am a trumpet player and (NCO in charge) for the music-performance team, Spirit of Freedom, with the U.S. Air Force Band of Flight. I perform for a wide variety of events, including official military, recruiting and community-relations events, spanning across Ohio and the surrounding states.

In larger productions, I perform as a singer, harmonica player and front man. Additionally, I serve as the unit’s resource adviser and section chief of Resources.

However, the most important thing I do is use my 12 years of experience to train the band’s Airmen and NCOs to execute the mission of honoring our veterans, inspiring the American public and connecting with diverse audiences across our area of responsibility.

Why are you and your job important to the Air Force and WPAFB?
The band is a small career field with a unique, often misunderstood, and yet very important mission. As a member of the band, I have the opportunity to go out and publicly represent our nation and the U.S. Air Force. Through music, we create a bond with the public that is practically unattainable through other means.

We help recruiters connect with young Americans; we reassure the public by showcasing a level of excellence that is paralleled in all career fields throughout the Air Force; we provide a platform for our senior leaders, enabling them to address the public in both formal and informal settings; and we honor our veterans in military and civilian ceremonies across our AOR.

Recently, I led my team in support of a very interesting ceremony honoring the Tuskegee Airmen officers that in 1945 staged a protest while stationed in Seymour, Indiana. The protest was called the “Freeman Field Mutiny” and was a major steppingstone in the journey for equal rights for all Airmen (look it up!). This is just one example of the many missions we perform to support our nation and advance our command’s priorities.