Sgt. Marcus Bowers went to Iraq armed . . . with a tuba.

Staff Sgt. Michael Robertson had double the ammo — a French horn and a trombone.

As two members of the first reservist band deployed in combat since World War II (the 42nd Infantry Division Band of Freeport, N.Y.), these two Utahns are making history.

"We bring music, as opposed to guns, and I think that's a very different feeling," said Bowers. "It's something that's always welcomed, as opposed to guns and violence and things like that. I think it's very much a peacekeeping token."

Of course, they also carry weapons.

Robertson said their musical duties are in addition to a security mission, with various guard duties throughout the post. So after roughly 40 hours of security duty, most band members put in another couple of hours each day rehearsing, practicing and performing.

"The good thing about that is it's good, constructive work," said Robertson. "It's relatively safe, compared to what some others are doing, and it sure makes the time fly."

Bowers and Robertson are both Utah natives, although they are deployed as members of the New York National Guard.

Robertson graduated from Olympus High School and the University of Utah. After four years of teaching at Eastmont Middle School in Sandy, he took a job as a music teacher at an elementary school in the Buffalo, N.Y., area, and later earned a master's degree in music education from the State University of New York.

Bowers graduated from Taylorsville High School and Brigham Young University, majoring in tuba performance. At the time of his deployment, he was pursuing a master's degree at Queens College.

Both play for a brass quintet that performs for memorial services for deceased soldiers and other honorary ceremonies. Bowers said his first experience playing in the quintet happened even before he left New York. It was for a soldier who had died as he was going home for R&R. "The reality of what we were getting into was brought home a little clearer."

Both agreed that the experience of playing for the memorial services is "incredibly profound."

"Just like any funeral service or memorial service, it's done primarily to help the living grieve," said Robertson. "Even though, with very few exceptions, we haven't known the soldiers that we perform for, we still share the pain that their comrades feel when we go to the different bases and then play. We listen to peoples' voices break when they're reading about their departed friend, we watch them cry, and the music, in a lot of ways, helps people.

"It's very poignant and profound, and it's very important work."