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| About Us > History |
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The United States Air Force Heritage of America Band has a rich history of inspiring hearts and minds, building and sustaining American patriotism, and enhancing esprit de corps in the United States Air Force. It was one of the original Army Air Corps bands, created by order of the Secretary of War on October 1, 1941 and assigned to Barksdale Field, Louisiana. In June 1946, after a short stay at Brooks Field, Texas, the band arrived at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, its current home.
For over half a century, it has represented the nation and the Air Force with musical and military distinction to the citizens of the Mid-Atlantic in live concerts, to the nation in televised events such as The Today show and the DESERT STORM National Victory Parade, to a worldwide audience through the Web and internationally-distributed video and compact disc recordings, and to heads of state such as the Queen of England, the President of France, the Shah of Iran, and several U.S. presidents.
The band's 45 men and women are assigned to two primary ensembles: the USAF Heritage of America Band (which doubles in concert and ceremonial roles) and the Blue Aces (a popular music ensemble). The concert band breaks down into seven touring ensembles: the Rhythm in Blue Jazz Ensemble (which also fields the Heritage of America Dixie Players), the Heritage Brass Quintet, the Langley Winds woodwind quintet, the American Clarinet Quartet, Heritage Aire Celtic ensemble, Sonic Boom percussion ensemble, and the Cirrus Trombone Quartet. Each year, the band's ensembles travel more than 30,000 miles to perform 340 concerts for a half million listeners across a seven-state region from Pennsylvania to South Carolina.
The USAF Heritage of America Band's exceptional musicianship has earned international critical acclaim and numerous honors: eight Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards, four Air Force Organizational Excellence Awards, three Colonel George S. Howard Citations of Musical Excellence for Military Concert Band, North Carolina's Order of the Long Leaf Pine, and countless state and municipal proclamations. Under the leadership of its commander and conductor, Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Monroe, the USAF Heritage of America Band remains at the forefront of preserving and enriching America's musical heritage into the 21st century.
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