Photo By Christopher Wilson | Members of the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 132nd Army Band played at the Lawton...... read more read more
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FORT SILL, Okla. (July 14, 2022) — With an average of 450 musical missions each year, taking a break is essential for Fort Sill’s 77th Army Band, but while they’re on block leave, the missions don’t stop. In comes Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 132nd Army Band to make sure the hits keep coming.
"Ft. Sill is fortunate to have the 132nd Army Band fill-in for the 77th Army Band while we are on leave, said Bandmaster Warrant Officer Martin Johnston. “The Soldiers, Families and Civilians of Lawton/Fort Sill will be fully supported by our National Guard teammates in our absence.”
The Pride of Fort Sill will do around 400-450 musical missions every year, said Sgt. 1st Class Scott Bowman, operations sergeant for 77th. These missions, sometimes multiple each day, include military ceremonies, community concerts, parades, educational outreach, recruiting support and funerals.
“During the school year, we work closely with the recruiting commands throughout Oklahoma and Texas to support their recruiting mission,” Bowman said. “Summers are more active with all the various changes of command and responsibility here on Fort Sill and summer festivals in the surrounding communities.”
Transitioning from civilian jobs to high op-tempo Soldiers and band members is no easy task, said Sgt. 1st Class Lauren Tredinnick, a platoon sergeant with the band. There are preparations like learning new music and ceremonies as well as community performances. Then there is the logistics of moving 30 band members and their equipment halfway across the United States. However, for Tredinnick and her fellow Soldiers, it’s just part of the job and a great opportunity to serve.
“We've been wanting to do something like this for a while,” said Tredinnick. “It's not often that we get what we call a backfill mission, but it is part of our core tasks and our core mission, and this isn’t our first time here in Lawton. We were able to come in 2008 and I was here then too so, it’s just really awesome to be back.”
When not backfilling for the 77th, the band is touring around the state of Wisconsin during their two weeks of annual training weeks, where they will support the Wisconsin National Guard the public and help with recruiting in communities.
“We are all Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers — citizen Soldiers,” Tredinnick said. “We have jobs ranging from musical professions all the way to my job as in insurance. We have doctors we have people that are band directors, we have medical people, we've had dental people, we have all different walks of life in our group.”
The 132nd has nine ensembles including concert band, ceremonial band, forward brass quintet, Patriot Jazz Band, “EZ Jazz” band, Soldiers of Sax, A.A.R., Badger Brass Collective, and Country Enough and during the next two weeks, Tredinnick and her bandmates plan to showcase all as they cover for the 77th. While barely having their boots on the ground, the band has already completed several changes of command ceremonies and a community event at the Lawton farmers market.
| Date Taken: | 07.14.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 07.14.2022 15:43 |
| Story ID: | 425012 |
| Location: | FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 47 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Marching to the beat of a different drum — the 132nd Army Band steps in to cover down on the 77th, by Christopher Wilson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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