Ambassadors, Band of the West headline Battle of Flowers Parade

  • Published
  • By Jeremy Gerlach
  • 502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas --   

Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland was well-represented at the 125th Battle of Flowers Parade April 22, as service members from the Military Ambassadors program and the Air Force Band of the West delivered a colorful mix of Armed Forces’ pride and pageantry to Fiesta’s premiere event.

The Battle of Flowers Parade, which annually draws crowds in excess of 300,000, represents the climax of Fiesta festivities, according to the Fiesta Commission website. The celebration was a fitting stage for the Military Ambassadors delegation, which includes service members from all branches of the United States military stationed at JBSA.

Tech. Sgt. Jacqueline Crow, 149th Fighter Wing intelligence analyst, and Tech. Sgt. Steve Nowicki, 341st Training Squadron NCO in charge of resources, who were ambassadors at the event, said that the Battle of Flowers parade brings out all the diversity San Antonio has to offer.

"This parade is a very rich and beautiful cultural experience," Nowicki said. "San Antonio is a big melting pot, and the ambassadors being at the parade gleans off what JBSA itself is all about – it’s diverse, and you have all four military branches working together."

Crow, a lifelong San Antonio resident who’s been coming to the parade since she was a kid, said it was a thrill to be on the other side of the parade line.

"The Fiesta Commission has welcomed the ambassadors with open arms," she noted. "It’s an honor to be at an event … with this much history and this much tradition."

As ambassadors, Crow and Nowicki attended all the major coronations, participated in most of the major parades — including the Battle of Flowers and Fiesta Flambeau parades — and attended big events like Night in Old San Antonio. This gig might sound like all fun and games, but Nowicki pointed out that the main function of the parade is to raise money through ticket sales to fund area non-profits and charities.

The Air Force Band of the West also performed at the parade, marching through downtown blaring a classic arrangement of the Air Force song. Founded in 1941, the ensemble is based at JBSA-Lackland and is comprised of highly-trained, professional musicians in the Air Force.

While the group regularly logs hundreds of thousands of miles each year, performing for presidents and heads of state around the world 2nd. Lt. Christina Muncey, Air Force Band of the West flight commander, said the Battle of Flowers is a performance opportunity that stands out from the group’s more traditional venues.

"Performing at Fiesta is a great opportunity for our Airmen to give back to the San Antonio community for all their support of the military," Muncey said. "It’s also a one-of-a-kind opportunity to get out and experience Fiesta, which is part of what makes the San Antonio community so special."

Senior Airman Jennifer Daffinee, Air Force Band of the West regional band journeyman, is a clarinetist with the ensemble.

"Coming out with the city to celebrate is fantastic – everybody’s always in such a great mood at the parade with all the beautiful floats and flowers," said Daffinee, who’s marched in the Battle of Flowers parade with the band for the last four years. "Also, we get to be role models for the local students and youth that might one day come up and fill our ranks to replace us."

Airmen can visit http://www.battleofflowers.org/ about-us/ to learn about the Battle of Flowers parade and http://www.bandofthewest.af.mil/aboutus/index.asp to find out more about the Air Force Band of the West