Strike up the band, there's gonna be a formation. A General Officer is coming.

[Scuba]

http://blogs.ajc.com/jamie-dupree-washington-insider/2012/07/18/congress-balks-at-small-military-budget-cuts/

This year, military bands have a budget of $388 million, which covers 140 different musical groups and over 5,000 musicians in the military.

Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) wanted to pull that budget number back to $200 million - which still might seem like too much to some taxpayers.

"The Pentagon is on pace to spend $4 billion over the next decade on military bands," said McCollum, as she asked the House to chop $188 million from the military music budget for next year.

...

The final tally was 250-166 against the military band budget cuts. You can see how your lawmakers voted on the U.S. House web site.

Wonder what kind of music the General's girlfriend prefers.

[catnhatnh]

1. Well I checked the website...

Our Dem voted to cut, our repub voted to keep the bands. I can't help but think that these idiots still picture lines of pipers and drummers marching with our special forces units on parade toward the Taliban on the plains of Afghanistan...

[MADem]

4. They like to requisition the small bands for cocktail parties...

Four, five or six piece combos, with a singer or two, to do standards, or a piano/drummer/singer...

[monmouth3]

2. Jazz baby, definitely Jazz...n/t

[MADem]

3. She'd better get used to funeral dirges.

People will not believe this, but ten, twenty years ago, there used to be WAY MORE military musicians than there are now!

Why do lawmakers like these bands? Because they requisition them themselves, on occasion...