National Guard's "Sidewinder," Eureka Band Director Return to St. Louis

Sidewinder, the Missouri Air National Guard rock band that became an overnight sensation thanks to a YouTube video, returned home Saturday from their 45-day overseas deployment. With them returned a music teacher from whom we can't wait to get more first-hand impressions of his recent experience abroad.

Family, friends, fellow 571st Air Force Band members, and St. Louis area media greeted the 10-member band outside Concourse A in the lower level of Terminal One at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, stated a news update from the National Guard.

During their deployment, a video of the band's rendition of "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele went viral, and to date, has been viewed more than 1.3 million times. The video's popularity led to numerous interviews and satellite television appearances, including the nationally syndicated “Entertainment Tonight.”  

“We’re very excited about the attention the viral video received, and hope it will illustrate to the public the excellence found in all career fields of the Air Force and the Air National Guard,” said Capt. John Arata, 571st Air Force Band officer in charge and Sidewinder fiddle and keyboard player.

“Now we have a unique opportunity to represent Airmen here at home,” said Arata, Eureka High's band director.

Invitations for appearances upon their return include ABC's "Good Morning America," Warner Brothers "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," and the Fox News Network's "Fox and Friends." In addition, Staff Sgt. Angie Johnson, of St. Ann, Mo., the lead singer in the video, received a personal invitation from Carson Daly to audition for his hit NBC show "The Voice." 

“It kind of hit me two days before we came home,” said Staff Sgt. Sean Navarro, Sidewinder sound technician, of the band’s return to St. Louis, “This is my first deployment and it was a great experience, better than I could have imagined. The response everywhere we went was amazing and the troops were so glad to hear us.”

Sidewinder is the rock and roll element of the 35-member 571st Air Force Band “Air National Guard Band of the Central States” located at the 131st Bomb Wing, Missouri Air National Guard at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. Air Force bands are classified as premier and regional bands. The U.S. Air Force Band in Washington, D.C., is the only premier band. Eleven active duty regional bands operate at nine locations in the United States and from four locations overseas. In addition, there are 11 Air National Guard bands at various locations throughout the United States.

“This is the kind of heat I like!” said Staff Sgt. Brian Owens, one of Sidewinder’s vocalists, in reference to the 90-degree temperatures in St. Louis versus the 120-plus degrees searing heat of some of the locations they visited in Southwest Asia, “It’s great to be home!”

Editor's Note: Eureka-Wildwood Patch appreciates the information provided by Master Sgt. Mary-Dale Amison, public affairs-visual information manager, 131st Bomb Wing, Missouri Air National Guard.