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My experience as a roadie

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Zachary Cacicia
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  When I joined the Air Force last year, I imagined myself doing a lot of new things, some of which I would have never considered doing myself. I knew it would be a life-changing experience first and foremost. But, when I arrived at Dover Air Force Base I found myself partaking in something that would be considered strange, even for an Airman.


Basic Military Training had lots of marching around, cleaning the dorm, going to classes, BEAST week, parade practice, and did I mention cleaning the dorm? Technical training was packed full of classes, training exercises, and monotonous briefings. All of these things, I expected.


But when I was asked to be a roadie, well, this was something completely unexpected.


Two weeks ago, I received an e-mail from my first sergeant requesting volunteers to assist in set production setup and teardown for a concert hosted by the USO. Though I'm not a fan of country music, nor have I ever heard of Jana Kramer or the Swon Brothers, who were the performers, I decided that volunteering would be great opportunity for me to give back.


But there was one slight problem. I have zero experience with lighting equipment, sound equipment, let alone musical instruments and the equipment that goes along with it all. Other than listening to my favorite bands and singers on the radio, I've had very little experience in the music field. Seriously, every time I attempt to even sing, I'm bombarded with verbal threats to stop.


Thankfully, my singing skills weren't needed for setting up sound and lighting equipment.


The day before the scheduled concert, roughly a dozen or so Airmen, including myself found themselves at the base theater ready for action. These Airmen came from units all over base: the 9th Airlift Squadron, the 436th Communications Squadron, the 436th Civil Engineer Squadron, the 436th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, and many others.


We waited and waited for the lighting and sound trucks to deliver the much anticipated speakers and lights. After waiting for about an hour or so, the first truck arrived; the sound truck.

This truck must have carried dozens of 100-pound speakers and miles of cables that connected them all together. We were able to unload the truck quickly and soon began putting everything in place.


Immediately after unloading the sound truck, the lighting truck arrived. We quickly replicated the same process as the truck before. Once everything was unpacked, the real setup began.


All the Airmen split up into different crews to focus their efforts. A few worked on setting up the speakers and soundboards, while others constructed the large trusses that would hold the lights.


I found myself working with the light crew, setting up the two large trusses that would hold twelve lights apiece. They were basically giant towers of lights. They required bolting together large sections of titanium columns, then clamping the lights onto them. Once they were both constructed, we had to raise them upright.


In an endeavor of pure muscle and strength, we lifted in the same fashion that the Marines famously raised an American flag over Iwo Jima, nearly 70 years ago. Once it was vertical, we had to repeat the process for the second truss. The effort really inspired a teamwork mentality amongst the Airmen.


After completing a few more small tasks, the stage was set up and ready for the show. I would return the next night after the show to tear down all the equipment.


The next night, I arrived at the theater, catching the last few songs of the concert. Once it was over the other volunteer Airmen and I once again got right back to work. Everything had to be taken down and packed away by the end of the night.


While this was going on, one of the sound and lighting professionals yelled from outside in a panic-stricken voice.


"The trucks are stuck in the mud, we need help pushing," he said.


We all rushed out to see a large box truck with its rear tires sunk into the mud. Its tires were spinning, but it wasn't moving an inch. Half-a-dozen of us or so went to its rear and started pushing. We pushed and pushed, but it still didn't budge. It wasn't freed until another truck was attached to its front with a strap and pulled it out.


We also had to push out the van that was carrying Jana Kramer, the Swon Brothers, and their bands. I hope they were thankful for our effort.

Once the trucks and vans were free from the mud, we went back inside to finish the teardown. This was soon completed and all the volunteer Airmen were set free.


This experience taught me to always be ready for the unexpected. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would work as a roadie when I became an Airman. Nor did I ever see myself pushing a van, carrying a country music star, out of the mud. But strange things can and will happen; it's just up to the individual Airman to be ready for them.