Where Are They Now?
Each year the band takes great pride in preparing a tribute to the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces as part of the UW Athletic Department’s annual “Salute to Service.” As director, I have been deeply touched by the emails from alumni and former military personnel thanking us for this special tribute and all the work that goes into preparing the show. That’s why I decided to catch our readers up on a few of our alumni who served in the armed forces. I’m certain there are many former HMB members who have served that I am not aware of. Nevertheless, we salute each and every one of you and thank you for your selfless service to our country.
I would like to thank these four esteemed HMB alumni for agreeing to be interviewed for this article. I am developing a list of HMB alumni who have served or are currently serving in the military. If this applies to you or you know of a former member who has served, please consider emailing me their name and contact information at bmcdavid@uw.edu.
– Brad McDavid
Lt. j.g. Jon Casey, ’14, U.S. Navy
Lt. j.g. Jon Casey, ’14, U.S. Navy
A member of the HMB sousaphone section from 2010 to 2014, Jon Casey was born in Marysville but attended high school in Mechanicsburg, Penn. After being accepted to the UW, his parents moved back to Marysville and he’s called the Evergreen State home ever since. Jon graduated from the UW in 2014 with a B.S. in industrial and systems engineering and minors in music and naval science.
After serving brief stints in three different states, Jon, who is a Lieutenant Junior Grade, was recently assigned to the Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine, the U.S.S. Key West and is now stationed on the island paradise of Guam. Jon must be good at multi-tasking, because he is currently assistant weapons officer (AWEPS) , anti-terrorism officer (ATO) and fire technician officer (FTO). Eventually he says that he will hold the position of reactor controls assistant, and will be directly responsible for reactor safety on board the Key West.
Jon says that the Husky Band definitely had a positive impact on preparing him for the military. “The HMB was a diverse group of people working long hours to make a solid finished product, and we made sure we had fun along the way. Right now I have to work with a little over a hundred guys, who come from all over America, most of whom are 18 to 25 years old, and deliver. The time commitment, stress, teamwork, leadership, and management skills I developed while I was in band and in college have definitely proven effective. I feel like the two environments have a lot in common. Am I walking 8 to 5 anymore? Not so much. Am I trying to make myself better every day? Absolutely.”
When sharing what his favorite memories are of the band, he says that without a doubt it was “the rallies….and the sense of accomplishment after each show.”
Because of Jon’s participation in Naval ROTC while at the UW, he is committed to serving a minimum of five years, but he thinks he will probably enlist for at least another seven to eight. He’s not sure where the Navy will take him after that, but he states, “Some of the desk jobs after you’ve had submarine duty can be pretty cool!” On a serious note, he confides, “I volunteered to serve. I wanted to do what I thought was my duty; do something that leveraged the best of my abilities (several of which I honed in band), and contribute to the community. My ambition is to make a difference.”
