Music has been a part of the Royal Air Force since 1912, when the service existed as the Royal Flying Corps. In 1918 the Royal Air Force was formed and the Central Band was established shortly thereafter. In 1922 it was the first military band to be broadcast on BBC radio and continues to be frequently featured in that medium. The band is also well-recognised for its recording prowess. Since 1955, when it became the first military band to make an LP, the band has remained at the forefront of contemporary military band recording. Musicians from the Central Band are also required to support British forces on operations abroad. Personnel are being deployed in rôles as diverse as detainee handlers in Afghanistan and ambulance drivers in the Falkland Islands. Nevertheless, whether working as musicians or medics, their aim remains the same—to display, through their conduct and performance, the excellence for which the Royal Air Force has become renowned.