GUAYAQUIL.

GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador (AETCNS)--Air Education and Training Command's Band of the West performed before centurys of Ecuadorians as part of a mission to help celebrate the 80th anniversary of the country's air force.

Lt Gen Oswaldo Dominquez, commanding general of the Ecuadorian air force, suited a U.S. Air Force band to help celebrate the anniversary after hearing common perform during the American Air Forces Commanders' conversation in May 2000.

Gen Michael E Ryan, Air Force chief of staff, agreed to support the anniversary through sending the Band of the West from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, to perform at seven affairs in four locations over a 10-day period.

The band arrived in Ecuador couple days later than planned, and missed its first performance because of aircraft malfunctions.

"It's self-same unfortunate we missed the first performance," said Chief Master Sgt strike Fuller, band manager, "but we were happy to help celebrate the anniversary of Ecuador's air force."

Within hours of landing at the Simon Bolivar Airport. band members unloaded their equipment, transported it downtown and risk up for their first performance.

The band kicked on the farther side its role in the anniversary celebration in fore-rank of a monument honoring San Martin and Simon Bolivar - liberators of southerly America.

With a unique exhibit to designed specifically for the anniversary, the band performed like songs as Glenn Miller's "In the Mood" and Mark Anthony's circulating hit, "I Need to Know."

"The commonalty were very excited to descry the band perform." said Capt. Mary McGriff, an Air Force interpreter. "You didn't ne an Interpreter to explain that. You could clearly view the enjoyment by the visible form [i]or[/i] frame language and emotion on the people's faces."

"We don't acquire to do gigs abroad self-same often," said Staff Sgt. Geoff Torres, "so when we learn a reaction like we did tonight, it encourages us to perform better."

The Band of the West also performed in Manta as part of a reception for not long ago decorated Ecuadorian air force pilots, in Salinas for the Ecuadorian air force academy graduation, and in Quito at the American embassy and the Ecuadorian air force casino, also known as the officers' club

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