WASHINGTON, July 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army is keeping the bands playing, with 15 musicians among 5,600 former soldiers being tapped this week for a year's military duty.
The Army said Thursday it is calling up four clarinetists, three saxophonists, two cornet or trumpeters, two French horn players, a euphonium player, an electric bass player and a percussionist for service in the Individual Ready Reserve.
"The bands are being stressed quite a bit," said Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Richard Cody, at a House Armed Services Committee hearing Wednesday. "They do an awful lot of burial services" especially for World War II veterans, he explained.
Cody suggested the musicians may not be sent to Iraq but could be tapped for duty in the United States.
The musicians either volunteered for the rarely tapped Individual Ready Reserve force or had a four-year obligation remaining on their original service contracts.
