Military Musical Career, U.S. Army Band System

Army Bands have a consistent structure and include a concert band, marching band, jazz ensemble, brass quintet, woodwind quintet, and chorus by regulation. In recent years, other types of ensembles have been included to take account of local conditions, such as rock bands and other smaller ensembles to serve the requirements of the command to which a particular band is attached.

Army Bands are professional units, trained and equipped to pursue and achieve the highest professional musical standards. This is true of all bands in the field as well as the special bands that may be more familiar to many.

I served for 25 years assigned to the following musical units in the United States Army Band system.

1. Active Duty: six years

1.1. 6th Army Band, Presidio, San Francisco

  • Principal trumpet
  • Associate conductor
  • Brass quintet
  • Jazz ensemble soloist

1.2. US Army Element, Naval School of Music

  • Advanced Course honor graduate, first in a class of 25 outstanding NCOes

1.3. 298th Army Band, Berlin, Germany

  • Trumpet section leader
  • Staff arranger
  • Brass quintet NCOIC

1.4. 3rd Infantry Division Band, Wuerzburg, Germany

  • Trumpet section leader
  • Brass ensemble leader
  • Brass quintet NCOIC.
  • Jazz ensemble lead trumpet

1.5. Army Communications Command Band, Ft. Huachuca, Arizona

  • Trumpet section leader
  • Jazz ensemble NCOIC and soloist

2. Army National Guard: eight years.

2.1. 59th Army Band, California Army National Guard, Sacramento, CA,

  • Co-principal trumpet
  • Brass quintet.

3. US Army Reserve: 11 years

3.1. 312th Army Band, US Army Reserve, Lawrence, KS

  • Trumpet section leader
  • Associate conductor
  • Associate bandmaster
  • Brass quintet leader
  • Jazz ensemble lead trumpet
  • Jazz combo NCOIC and soloist