Army Band - Army Strong Stories

Interview with my friend and colleague, Sergeant First Class Sam Kaestner

Kristen Mather — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 01:57:00 GMT

By: Kristen Mather
New York area clarinetist Sam Kaestner has been a member of the West Point Band since 2002. Since joining the band, he has performed with the New York Philharmonic in Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, at the Dallas Symphony’s Meyerson Symphony Hall, as well as at other venues throughout the country. Sam has appeared as a soloist with the West Point Band on numerous occasions. He has participated in recitals at the Juilliard...read more

Officer Education

Daniel Toven — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:19:00 GMT

By: Daniel Toven
This past week I packed the car and made the 4-hour trip from Fort Bragg to Virginia Beach, VA to begin the Army music officer Captains Career Course. Many of my colleagues speak of dreading the time spent at the "school house," but I have to confess that has never been my perspective. I relish the opportunity to step back, reflect on past experiences, gain new tools and insights, and interact with colleagues. I confess that my perspective may be shaped somewhat by...read more

Band Programs Officer

Randy Bartel — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:57:00 GMT

By: Randy Bartel
Had the opportunity to deploy and work for a year as the Band Programs Officer in Baghdad. Beginning in May of 2009, I worked in the C1 at MNC-I (later becoming the J1 at USF-I). I was fortunate to work with some incredible folks in a joint environment, who often spent 12-14 hours a day, 7 days a week doing everything they could to accomplish their mission. All the missions within our office had direct impacts on quality of life of our Service Members and Civilians...read more

Our Son, The Ranger

William Gabbard — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:12:00 GMT

By: William Gabbard
Our son, 2LT Mike Gabbard, graduated from Ranger School Friday. It was a gorgeous morning at Ft Benning, and I was one of several hundred happy Ranger fans who watched the famous Rangers In Action demonstration, followed by the tabbing ceremony. Class 1-12 started with 385, and a little over 150 finished. Mike's mom and I are so proud of him! Rangers lead the way!...read more

THE Game

William Gabbard — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:20:00 GMT

By: William Gabbard
Tomorrow's game...our annual reminder of what college football used to be like. No agents, no megabuck contracts, no uncontrolled hype, no outstanding arrest warrants or jail sentences. Just sixty minutes of hard-played ball, followed by careers and lifetimes dedicated, on both sidelines, to one united purpose. That's Army-Navy. Below is a link to a good article in today's McPaper about THE Game....read more

Victory Drive Evening

William Gabbard — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:50:00 GMT

By: William Gabbard
A tribute to the Army's newest Rangers! Had a great visit with our own Ranger tonight, looking forward to pinning that tab on him tomorrow morning :)...read more

A Beautiful Day to See Ft. Benning

William Gabbard — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:35:00 GMT

By: William Gabbard
Waiting for my plane to fly down to Ft B to see our son Lt. Mike Gabbard, who graduates from Ranger School tomorrow. Can't wait. Mom and I are SO proud of him! Tabbing pics to come :)...read more

Honoring My Family's Veterans

William Gabbard — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:03:00 GMT

By: William Gabbard
Grateful for the legacy of my family's service to our great country, especially our sons Ben (deployed), and Mike (in Ranger School). In memory and in honor of: M/Sgt Benjamin H. Gabbard, Jr (1921-1986): USNR 1947-1948; USAF 1948-1972 CMM Benjamin H. Gabbard, Sr (1888-1932): USN c. 1910-1930 PVT William R. Gabbard (1844-1922): Co. E, 47th Ky. Mounted Inf., Army of the Ohio, USA 1863-1864 1LT Robert C. Gabbard (1943-...read more

Blue Cord: Done. Next: Ranger!

William Gabbard — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:55:00 GMT

By: William Gabbard
Last week our son Mike graduated from IBOLC at Ft. Benning, in the top 20% of his class (Commandant's List). This past weekend, he began Ranger School. We love you, Mike, and are proud of you! Hooah! 2LT Michael Gabbard, Towson '11...read more

German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency

Lauren Veronie — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 06:14:00 GMT

By: Lauren Veronie
Several members of the FIeld Band have been working toward the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency. This month, we completed the final event needed to qualify for the award—a 12-kilomter road march. Two vans departed the Fort Meade Motor Pool at 0530 for Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) headquarters in Virginia. Units from all over the country took part in this great event, hosted by German Soldiers stationed in Virginia. There was a fantastic sense of...read more

End of a Busy Summer

Lauren Veronie — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 05:16:00 GMT

By: Lauren Veronie
It's been a while since my last post, so I thought I'd share some pictures of the various activities that kept me busy over the past few months. After Summer Tour, the Field Band had several local missions. We played a concert every weekend in August. Most were in Maryland, but a few took us as far as Delaware and Pennsylvania. For the second year in a row, Field Band soldiers traveled to local elementary schools to talk to kids about music. These 4th graders will soon be...read more

9/11 Commemorated

Thomas Palmatier — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 19:39:00 GMT

By: Thomas Palmatier
Today, Soldiers of The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" joined with hundreds of governmental and military leaders as well as Family members of those killed in the attack on the Pentagon ten years ago. After remarks by JCS Chairman Admiral Mullen, Secretary of Defense Panetta, and Vice President Biden, 184 wreaths were laid to commemorate those lost. Watch a brief clip here. Music in the background was arranged for Thje Army Band and the Navy Sea Chanters by SFC...read more

A Hero's Home Coming

Mark Lucero — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 01:19:00 GMT

By: Mark Lucero
My job as an Army Band recruiter keeps me on the road quite a bit. I have the mission of auditioning potential musicians for careers in the U.S Army Bands. I spend a lot of time in airports which gives me the opportunity to talk to people about the Army and share my Army story. I love talking to people about the Army and everyone always has that initial surprised look when I tell them I'm a musician. If anyone has ever been multiple flights you know that you can only read that sky mall...read more

In the Navy (for a day)

Lauren Veronie — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 02:52:00 GMT

By: Lauren Veronie
On Tuesday, I had the great privilege of sitting in with the US Naval Academy Band while their euphoniumist, Karl Schultz, was out for training. The band had an evening concert at the Annapolis City Docks. Annapolis is one of my favorite cities, and this was such a gorgeous location for a concert. We were staged right up agains the Chesapeake Bay, and you could see rows of sailboats bobbing behind the band. The temperature was just starting to cool down a bit as the sun...read more

Saying Goodbye

Lauren Veronie — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 23:47:00 GMT

By: Lauren Veronie
I spent Memorial Day weekend in Fayetteville, North Carolina, saying goodbye to my brother as he heads off to Iraq for the next year. Our family has been anticipating this day since Lance commissioned, almost three years ago. He has worked so hard, been through so much training, to prepare him for this mission. I am unbelievably proud of my little bro. Lance is an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Officer, which means that he, along with the rest of the men and women in his company, is...read more

Summer Tour

Lauren Veronie — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 06:45:00 GMT

By: Lauren Veronie
The US Army Field Band recently completed a summer tour of the Northeast, and I wanted to share some of my favorite moments. Most of our summer shows are outdoors. Usually, there is a stage of some sort, but occasionally we just get a wide-open grass field. Regardless of location, there is one thing I've learned—if you set up a band, the people will come. I celebrated my 27th birthday in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Before the concert started, I noticed a lady in an...read more

The Bugle

Mark Lucero — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 20:45:00 GMT

By: Mark Lucero
There has been a type of communication that has united all Soldiers throughout history. That instrument has been the trumpet or bugle. From the bronze and silver trumpets found in Tutankhamen’s grave in Egypt to the Civil war battle fields; the bugle has given commands to the great warriors during historic battles. As a musician in the Army I have had the opportunity to honor fallen soldiers as a bugler. The last time I played Taps was at a funeral for one of our active duty...read more

Summerfest!

Thomas Palmatier — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 05:46:00 GMT

By: Thomas Palmatier
The Volunteers of The U.S. Army Field Band headlined at Milwaukee's huge show, "Summerfest." Here they are on the big stage. SSG Randy Wight rocks the house. SFC April Boucher has the crowd in the palm of her hand. And fans hang wth the band after the show. Click here to find about The Army Field Band's awesome summer concerts....read more

Celebrating the 4th of July With a Big Dose of Army Strong

Thomas Palmatier — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 02:31:00 GMT

By: Thomas Palmatier
The U.S. Army Field Band, the Musical Ambassadors of the Army, were in Boston to celebrate our Nation's 235th birthday. A group of men from the Soldiers' Chorus spent the afternoon with over 38,000 in attendance at famed Fenway Park. They started the festivities off with a terrific rendition of the National Anthem. Listen to them and see the gigantic flag by clicking here. And then SSG Betsy Garcia led the crowd in the singiing of "God Bless...read more

Coming Home

Thomas Palmatier — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:23:00 GMT

By: Thomas Palmatier
"The Volunteers," the rock band of The U.S. Army Field Band visited the hometown of their vocalist, SFC April Boucher. It was April's first time performing back home and the local media really turned out to cover their show. April's daughters love watching their rock star Mom but at least in this photo seem a lot more interested in popcorn. On to Ashville, OH, home of the world's oldest traffic light. SFC Tom Lindsey and SFC Pete Krasulski are...read more