Tye Reports for Duty

Farewell (For Now) to Tye Melendez

In March, CMSS’ Director of First Impressions will report for a year of overseas active duty in the Army National Guard.

Tye Melendez is the friendly, helpful voice you hear on the other side of the phone when you call CMSS in the afternoons. For a year and a half, Tye has worked with faculty, families, and CMSS staff to help ensure lessons, classes, and events run smoothly. But in mid-March, he’ll be answering another call – this time to serve our country overseas.

Tye has been a member of the Army National Guard since attending college at UMass, and for six years he fulfilled his military duty by reporting for once-monthly weekend drill trainings as well as more extensive month-long trainings each summer. When the pandemic hit last March, Tye was deployed for active duty in eastern Massachusetts, administering COVID tests for several months this spring, summer, and fall. At a time when many of us tried to stay safe at home, Tye provided crucial front-line help for people in crisis.

We joyously welcomed Tye back to CMSS toward the end of 2020, but in early January he received word that he would be called up once again for active duty – this time it would be a year-long deployment overseas, the exact location of which is classified at this moment. Tye’s specific role in the Army is as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Specialist (or CBRN, pronounced “C-Burn”), protecting against weapons of mass destruction.

We are so proud of Tye and his commitment to our country, and we wish him safety and success in his mission, but we will miss him dearly while he’s gone!

Tye’s final day at CMSS will be March 19th. If you’d like to reach out to him with your well wishes, we encourage you to please email him at tmelendez@communitymusicschool.comcreate new email.

If you’re interested in keeping in touch with Tye while he’s gone, please let us knowcreate new email so that we can pass along his address when we have it!