SORTIE REPORT · IBWT-SR-2003 · CY2003 // PROPOSED
2003
Still Flying. Mission complete.
- SHOWS LOGGED
- 18
- RECORD DELIVERED
- Still Flying
- INCIDENT REPORTS FILED
- 2
- PERSONNEL ON STRENGTH
- 7
By Day
0700–1630 local · Duty assignments
Marcus Webb “BRRRRRRT”
BAND · Lead Vocals
Senior program analyst, the defense contractor. Gave notice to the band in October. Did not give notice to the employer.
Dennis Kowalski “Cost-Plus”
BAND · Lead Guitar
Lead engineer, the second contractor. Kept the guitar rigs.
Dave Pruitt “Warthog”
BAND · Bass
Dispatcher, the charter coach company. Kept his bass.
Elaine Kowalczyk “Seven Barrels”
BAND · Drums
First sergeant, Arizona Army National Guard. Teaching studio. Kept her drum kit. Printed the email.
Tony Reyes “Wrench”
SUPPORT · Vehicle & Equipment Maintenance
Owner, the transmission shop. Released the van to Marcus after a final inspection.
Linda Vasquez
SUPPORT · Venue Owner (The Runway Bar, Tucson)
Owner, The Runway Bar. Hosted the final operational show. Sold the bar the following year.
Brian Holt “Captain Holt”
SUPPORT · A-10 Pilot / Fan (Davis-Monthan AFB)
Selected for lieutenant colonel. Deployed overseas in the spring. Returned in June, in time for the release show.
By Night
2000–0100 local · Operations
In 2003 the band released its sixth and final album. It is called Still Flying. It has four tracks. The A-10 was still flying when it was recorded. Marcus considered this the correct note to end on.
In the spring Brian Holt deployed overseas again. Linda Vasquez put the reserved sign back on the stool. Marcus resumed the log line: seat held. Brian returned in the summer. He sat on the stool at the Still Flying release show in June. The attendance was sixty. It was the largest crowd in the log.
That year another proposal to retire the A-10 was under discussion. Marcus had been revising his position paper for eighteen months. He concluded that he could not continue to play thrash metal and advocate for the aircraft at the same time. He has said he tried. He has said the second activity does not appreciate the context of the first.
The band played its last show at The Runway Bar on Saturday, October 18. The log entry reads: Final operational show. All systems nominal. Mission complete. 12 years, 312 shows, 1 case of beer per show as negotiated with Phil in 1992.
On the following Tuesday Marcus sent an email to Dennis, Dave and Elaine. It was formatted as a mission completion report. It contained a summary of operations, key metrics, a lessons-learned section and a section titled final disposition of assets. Marcus kept the van. Dennis kept the guitar rigs. Dave kept his bass. Elaine kept her drum kit. The email concluded: Mission complete. Assets dispersed. Personnel released to independent operations. It has been an honor.
Elaine printed her copy. It is on the wall of her teaching studio.
Some days later Marcus and Dave met at the same bar near the base where the archive's first account places them in 1991. Marcus said the mission had reached an operational pause. An A-10 flew over. Both of them looked up. Neither of them said the word. Marcus said the band had done what it needed to do. Dave said okay.
Tony Reyes gave the van a final inspection before releasing it to Marcus. He found nothing. He wrote nothing in the remarks column. It was the first blank remarks column in twelve years. Linda counted the house at the door, at the halfway point and at close. The numbers were correct. She sold the bar the following year.
By day, nothing changed. Marcus went to work on Monday. Dennis went to work on projects he will not name. Dave dispatched buses. Elaine taught. Brian flew. The A-10 was still flying.
Operations logged
- JUN 14The Runway Bar, TucsonStill Flying release show. Attendance 60.
- AUG 23A bar on the west side, PhoenixLast show outside Tucson.
- OCT 18The Runway Bar, TucsonFinal operational show. All systems nominal. Mission complete.
Selected entries. 18 shows logged in CY2003. The remainder are in the binder.
Record delivered
LINE ITEM 0006 · FY2003Still FlyingFinal album. The A-10 was still flying when this was recorded. Webb considered this the correct note to end on.4 tracks · Open the record →Incident reports
2003Mission CompleteTucson, Arizona
Marcus sent a mission completion report email when the band ended. It had metrics, lessons learned, and a final disposition of assets section. Elaine printed hers. It is on the wall of her teaching studio.
In BRRRRRRT We Trust concluded operations in 2003. Marcus did not say they were breaking up. He said the mission was complete. He sent an email to Dennis, Dave, and Elaine on a Tuesday in October 2003 that was formatted as a mission completion report. It contained: a summary of operations (1991–2003), key metrics (312 shows, 6 albums, 1 van, 37 equipment cost justifications approved, 1,247 mission briefings conducted), a lessons learned section, and a section labeled "final disposition of assets" that covered what would happen to the band equipment. Marcus kept the van. Dennis kept the guitar rigs. Dave kept his bass. Elaine kept her drum kit. The email concluded: "Mission complete. Assets dispersed. Personnel released to independent operations. It has been an honor." Elaine printed her copy. It is on the wall of her teaching studio.
2003The DisbandingA bar near Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson, Arizona — the same bar
Marcus said the mission had reached an operational pause. An A-10 flew over. Neither of them said BRRRRRRT. In 2014 he called and they all came.
In BRRRRRRT We Trust played their last show in 2003 and disbanded shortly after. The reason was not internal conflict. The reason was that Marcus felt the mission had reached a natural operational pause. He said this in the same bar near Davis-Monthan where he and Dave had met in 1991. An A-10 flew over during the conversation. Both of them looked at the sky. Neither of them said BRRRRRRT. Marcus said the band had done what it needed to do. Dave said okay. The A-10 was still flying. In 2014, when it was threatened again, Marcus called everyone. They came.