MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- As a bass drum beats its sounds into the hearts of listeners and the soft tones of a mellow trumpet poetically fill the listeners ears, the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band plays their finely tuned instruments.
The 3rd MAW Band holds one of the 13 instrument repair technicians position whose only purpose is to inspect, service, repair and maintain the more than $1 million worth of musical gear assigned to the band.
Gunnery Sgt. Andrew Kozain has filled the position of the instrument repair technician for the 3rd MAW Band since May 2005.
“I really enjoy what I do,” said Kozain, a Pittsburgh native. “I like to find out how things work and knowing that my job is instrumental to bringing smiles to the faces of spectators. We have to make sure that we have the best quality equipment we can have.”
This specific job is reserved for staff noncommissioned officers and above due to the high responsibility of the job.
Those applying for this position must submit a package, including letters of recommendations, to a board. Those selected go to school and learn a different instrument every two weeks which lasts a year.
The responsibilities of an instrument repair technician involves inspecting, maintaining, repairing and overhauling all musical equipment assigned to the band, according to Marine Corps Order P1200.7Z.
“I am solely responsible for all the gear in this shop,” said Kozain, an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran. “The job not only entails maintaining the instruments, but taking care of the inventory, purchasing and budgeting of the equipment.”
With more than a dozen different instruments in the band’s stock, one of the few and proud instrument technicians in the Corps, Kozain, keeps very busy and doesn’t get much down time.
“To be able to fix the instruments, you have to know how to play each one of them,” he said. “You have to listen to each one upon completion of any repairs made.”
By having this service done on-site, the 3rd MAW band saves a countless amount of time and money from having to send the equipment out to be repaired, explained Kozain.
“It’s extremely important to have him here,” said Sgt. James Snead, a musician in the band. “The amount of money it would cost to do the jobs he does for us, would add up to a considerable amount of money if done elsewhere.”
Snead explained how he once had something called a mute, a piece that makes an instrument sound softer, stuff far up in his sousaphone, a walking tuba. While trying to retrieve the piece from inside the sousaphone, he eventually made a great deal of dents in the metal.
“When I brought him the instrument, he fixed it really well,” said Snead. “Any time we bring anything with dents, he makes it brand new,” said Snead.
The band members expressed how Kozain’s job remains vital for the mission of the band.
“If it wasn’t for Gunny Kozain we could never complete our mission,” said Sgt. Michael Byars, a musician in the band. “He works tirelessly to maintain our gear making it look and sound amazing.”