2000

In 2000 the band played its tenth year as the house band at The Runway Bar. Marcus noted it at the top of the April log entry and did not mention it at the briefing. Linda Vasquez mentioned it at the door. The attendance was forty-nine.

In November Dave Pruitt drove the shuttle route on Davis-Monthan for the last time. He had driven it for six years. The contract was rebid in the fall. He did not reapply. He has not explained this decision. He has said the route was correct while he drove it.

Over six years Dave carried airmen, civilians and visiting family members between the same stops each weekday. He did not discuss the A-10 with passengers. He listened to them discuss it. He has said that some of what he heard was right and some of it was from people who had never seen the gun fire. He did not correct anyone. It was not his route to correct.

Dave's opinions on the A-10 were by then indistinguishable from those of people who had flown it. Brian Holt confirmed this in a conversation after a show in August. Brian said he had nothing to add. Dave said okay.

Elaine Kowalczyk was promoted to master sergeant in the Arizona Army National Guard. She had served thirteen years. Her studio had two rooms and a second instructor. She taught the advanced students on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and on Saturdays that were not drill weekends.

Marcus became a senior program analyst. Dennis became lead for test and evaluation at the second contractor. Neither discussed work at rehearsal. This was still policy.

In August the band played a hall in Sierra Vista near Fort Huachuca. The front rows were soldiers. Elaine knew two of them from a training school. She did not acknowledge them from the kit. She acknowledged them at load-out.

Tony Reyes hired a second mechanic at the shop. He trained him on the van first. The new mechanic asked why the van had its own shelf. Tony said pockets. The mechanic did not ask again.

Brian Holt became assistant director of operations of an A-10 squadron at Davis-Monthan. His seat at the back of the room did not change. The band played twenty-four shows. The A-10 remained in service. Marcus noted it in the year-end summary as he did every year, in the last line.