Texas Border Business
PHARR, Texas – The USAF Band of the West is a musical organization with an outstanding record of achievement. The Airmen assigned to the band are highly-trained professional musicians who have dedicated themselves to serving their country through music. They have been visiting various PSJA schools.
The USAF Band of the West has a long lineage in the United States Air Force. The band was created on October 1st, 1941 at Moffett Field, California and moved to Enid Army Air Field soon after. With the birth of the United States Air Force in 1947, the band moved to what eventually became Lackland Air Force Base. The band was inactivated in 1955 but reactivated in 1959. The title “Band of the West” was used for years until May 1st, 1997 when it was granted official status.
The USAF Band of the West travels more than 125,000 miles annually and provides over 300 performances to military and civilian audiences throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Puerto Rico. The band has been an integral part of the music scene throughout the Southern US for many years.
The organization is made up of ensembles to include the Concert Band, Ceremonial/Marching Band, Dimensions in Blue jazz ensemble, and three popular music groups (Warhawk, Sky Country, and Top Flight). Satellite groups within the unit include: Gateway Brass, Mission Winds, Freedom Brass, Spectrum, Horizons Saxophone Quartet, and protocol combos. This diversity enables the USAF Band of the West to perform practically any style of music from classical and country to marches and mambos.
In 2011, the USAF Band of the West was awarded its sixth Colonel George S. Howard Citation of Musical Excellence for Military Concert Bands. In 2011 the band also received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the eighth time due to its exemplary contributions to Air Force recruiting and community relations programs.
The USAF Band of the West has performed for presidents, heads of state, and dignitaries from around the world, earning an outstanding reputation among America’s military bands.
