Shipping Out!

[chhite]

A lot has changed for the Army's band field. The word "Element" has been dropped from the title and now read "US Army School of Music" and it still resides at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, VA. The three services are still instructed in the same building but their identities have been separated. It mostly deals with differences in training doctrine and staffing. Will they move to another location someday? Maybe but that's a very big decision with big dollar signs attached.

Auditions are now scored 0-40 and the C1 ASI is now held by nearly half the field. In order to meet course standards of the Senior Leaders Course(SLC), formerly Advanced NCO Course, Soldiers must attain the C1 ASI during the duration of the course. Failure to do so relegates their status to "minimally achieved course standards." This could potentially limit further career progression. The Soldier will also have to re-certify their C1 at each school but once he/she graduates from SLC, it's permanent, unless their commander sees the need to re-audition. The short version-practice well, practice often, get the C1, repeat and keep C1 for career. It will open doors for your career.

Ft. Drum does get a lot of snow and you'll get to do all things in all types of precipitation and temps getting as low as -40F. You'll be nestled in the foothills of the Adirondack mountains and it's beautiful country. Alexandria Bay is scenic and the band plays there often. Get up to SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music and see Dr. Guy for some lessons. Get out to NYC or to Rochester and find both playing and listening opportunities.

Enjoy your time and Climb to Glory Mountain Man!

[josh_kaprun]

Jeeze, every day I'm more and more pleased that I posted this as I'm getting a LOT of great information here ... which, of course, just leads to me having to ask more questions ... but that's beside the point. Thank you everyone who has been contributing to this post. Now, to the new questions!

So, if auditions are now scored 0-40, does that mean the 3.0 club doesn't really exist anymore? I got a 2.9 score on my audition for the bands (which kind of bummed me out when I found out that 3.0 was a perfect score ... so close), so would that translate to a 38 or 39 in the new scale?

I'm a bit confused by the SLC. Is that a course that I will take during AIT, or is that something that one comes back to do later in their career? Also, you mention that a soldier has to re-certify their C1 at "each school." Will I be attending other schools over the course of my career?

Final question, assuming the SLC is something that is done later in one's career, how far can one be promoted before being required to take the SLC?

We are really looking forward to the area up at Ft. Drum. We saw a few pictures on the housing website and there were some pretty breath-taking sights, including some homes that seemed to be on their own little islands (I'm guessing those are reserved for senior officers). We're also really excited about heading up to Montreal and checking out the sights there. And I personally can not wait to get down to see the NY-Phil. I've never gotten to see them live, so it'll be a real treat.

[jtuba]

SLC refers to Senior Leaders Course, a course required for senior enlisted leaders of the field. Something you won't have to worry about for at least 7-8 years, that's assuming you're selected for that rank that quickly. Most aren't. There's the Advanced Leader course that you would attend before SLC, as a SGT or SSG.

The C1 club still exists, but the required audition score is now 30. Re-certifying at each school refers to each time you have to attend an MOS course at the School of Music. There are currently three, AIT, ALC, and SLC.

[josh_kaprun]

Um ... if you say so.

I just realized there was a link there. Having spent my previous two winters in Wisconsin for grad school, I about fell out of my chair laughing.

[Bob Kolada]

There's no more 1SG school, correct? WLC, ALC, SLC, then the SMA?

[chhite]

Correct.

[Master Sergeant Tuba]

Fort Drum activated the 10th Mountain Division in 1986 and members of the band showed up shortly thereafter. I arrived from Little Creek in May of 1987 and we activated the unit in November of that year. The 26th Army Band at Fort Hamilton in NYC was never connected to us, although they did trade a few musicians (including Jeff McGowan, a good friend and piano player). There are still a couple of good videos taken near the end of the 26th, including Barry Hawthorne (tuba) and Mick Chiara (bass trombone) hamming it up pretty good for the cameras.

The First Tuba player assigned to Fort Drum was Steve Rankey, I was #2. We had a total of six during my two and a half years (before moving to Berlin), but never more than four at a time.

The First Commander was Chief Warrant Officer Fraser (arrived in late 1987) who is retiring next year after forty years in uniform. He was able to return to Fort Drum and relocated the band for a year as the first long-term deployment of American military musicians to Afghanistan as part of TF-76, followed by repeated deployments of the 82nd & 101st Airborne Bands and a guest appearance of the 1st Cavalry.

There is a proud history associated with the mountaineers that goes back to WWII and is represented today by a chunk of Italian rock (from a mountain top) that is part of the memorial on top of Little White Face (Lake Placid). We used to ride the ski lift to the top an perform. Nothing like nodding on a sousaphone 100 feet in the air.

Oddly enough, I was reminiscing with Fraser earlier today about our first technical inspection at Drum by a staff officer. Virginia Allen (daughter of TUSAB's Colonel Eugene Allen). She had lipstick on and a skirt. Not something we saw everyday at Drum.

On a lighter side, there is an article making the rounds about a helicopter crew from the 10th kicking tail in afghanistan, resulting in a Silver Star for the female medic who repeatedly went up and down the rope with severe injuries and a broken leg to save others (and recover a deceased translator's body). She refers to her copilot grabbing a weapon and suppressing the enemy during the battle. That copilot was CWO Ken Broadhead, a great soldier and former tuba player in Army bands. He was with me in training and Desert Storm with the 1AD before submitting his flight packet. Go ken, go tuba players.

I promised never to write a book but may change my mind. I know where all the evidence lives.

[Master Sergeant Tuba]

Before I forget - the first performing group stationed at Drum as part of the 10th Mountain Division was a brass quintet. Myself, Steve Sonnen (Trumpet and still on active duty), Brandt Becker (Euphonium, later replaced by Tim Black on trombone), Bob Bogan (horn), and Wilson Gonzalez (Trumpet) had a few performances before we had the musicians or equipment to field a marching band. The band from Fort Devons in Massachusetts came down several times and we performed occasionally with the 42nd Rainbow Division Band from NYC. I do not remember the 26th being on the installation between 87-89.

Seal Teams 2, 4, 8, 10 and 18 (I believe, they are the east coast reserve team) had a headquarters presence on NAB Little Creek for a number of years. There are other locations involved as well.

Jeff

[MackBrass]

Before I forget - the first performing group stationed at Drum as part of the 10th Mountain Division was a brass quintet. Myself, Steve Sonnen (Trumpet and still on active duty), Brandt Becker (Euphonium, later replaced by Tim Black on trombone), Bob Bogan (horn), and Wilson Gonzalez (Trumpet) had a few performances before we had the musicians or equipment to field a marching band. The band from Fort Devons in Massachusetts came down several times and we performed occasionally with the 42nd Rainbow Division Band from NYC. I do not remember the 26th being on the installation between 87-89.

Seal Teams 2, 4, 8, 10 and 18 (I believe, they are the east coast reserve team) had a headquarters presence on NAB Little Creek for a number of years. There are other locations involved as well.

Jeff

Hey Jeff, too many memories. The best time for me was as a student and instructor at the SOM. As a student, work hard and have fun when time allows. Not sure if they still have it but saturday night bay bash was the bomb. In BNOC meeting musicians that actually played in the field, like Jeff, was nice and still some of those friendships are still alive years later.

The military is what you make of it and if you work hard you can get the iron man PT award in basic as well as shoot for the outstanding soldier of the cycle. When you arrive at the SOM, you may even become the instructor there when you graduate if your good enough and pick up E-6 under 4 years by doing your yellow books. Don't just do the minimum to get by, go beyond what is called for and you will get recognized, this is something that the Amry will do for you as long as you do for them.

Good luck

[duderubble]

I see this is a necro-thread, but I work on Fort Leonard Wood, MO as a substance abuse prevention educator, last week I was fortunate to see and hear the 399th Army Band practicing in a parking lot, I stopped and watched for as long as I could. They were impressive as always and I was especially impressed with the two Sousaphones and one euphonium, what a powerful undergirding for those great marches and it seemed their selections really let them shine (The thunderer, and especially Bravura). I'm always impressed with the level of musicianship. I spent three years as a chaplain here so we did a lot of the same ceremonies and they were always a joy to listen to.