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# Texas band director creates music and musicians with military excess

By Jeff LandenbergerDLA Disposition Services

                BATTLE CREEK, Mich.   –              
Poteet High School in Texas is making music with military excess thanks to Ralph Unger, the school's band director.

Unger utilized the Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services, a DOD agency used to dispose of military excess equipment, to acquire high-quality musical instruments for his students. The agency lists usable items on web pages for customers to requisition, including schools like Poteet.

                Students from Poteet High School in Texas show off some of the musical instruments that their Band Director Ralph Unger has aquired through the DLA Dispositin Services.                            Poteet High School students                            Students from Poteet High School in Texas show off some of the musical instruments that their Band Director Ralph Unger has aquired through the DLA Dispositin Services.            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: Poteet High SchoolVIRIN: 230328-D-DO441-777 Unger thought his teaching days were behind him when he retired, but word got to him Poteet School District was looking for a band director to finish the second half of the school year, so he stepped in.

During his career with other schools Unger said he acquired musical instruments from DLA Disposition Services and knew it was a way not only to improve the quality of instruments for his students but also inspire them to grow their musical talent.  

“As soon as I came on board with the district,” Ungar said, “I asked them to be able to go over to the federal surplus property site that we have in San Antonio.”

He explained to them that he would be able to acquire instruments of quality that otherwise he could not purchase.

He has now been with the district for a year and a half and has acquired two tubas, a French horn, an oboe, alto and tenor saxophones, and one baritone for his students.

While some of the instruments acquired through the program are not worth repairing, Unger is willing to take the chance to provide his students with high-quality instruments to play.

Unger believes that using former military instruments enables his students up to become extraordinary players.

                Navy Chief Musician Jason Ayoub is the Principal Horn with the Navy Band in Washington D.C.                            Jason Ayoub                            Navy Chief Musician Jason Ayoub is the Principal Horn with the Navy Band in Washington D.C.            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: Navy BandVIRIN: 230401-D-DO441-007Navy Chief Musician Jason Ayoub is the Principal Horn with the Navy Band in Washington D.C. But just like Unger’s students he started his musical journey in Texas.

Ayoub said he played what he called a school line, or line instrument, until he made it to the University of North Texas where he majored in Music Performance.

“I was in college and was able to get my hands on a really great horn and yea, it really just changed everything,” Ayoub said. “Just the ease of the instrument to play, the range, the sound quality was just amazing.”

Ayoub said he was unaware until recently that schools can acquire the instruments that he and other military musicians turn into DLA Disposition Services.  

“To be able to have the ease of playing, that is what it always comes back to me with professional instruments, it’s just so much easier to play than line instruments,” Ayoub said. “You go, oh, I couldn’t do this on my other horn now it’s a lot easier to do X, Y or Z, on this professional level horn.”

He said that what Unger is doing for his students is amazing and believes that getting professional-level instruments into the hands of students will open doors for them.

And it has. Unger said that over his teaching career he had eight students make the All-state band, five of those majored in music in college, and one of them is now the head band director for another Texas school district and his students won the state marching band competition. 

And Unger is not done using the program to inspire his students. The student that is playing one of the tubas from DLA Disposition Services was recently selected to the All-state band.

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Registered customers can visit the DDSR website to view available inventory.

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