Heartbeat of the Cav

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Carolyn Hart | The 1st Cavalry Division band performs on Cooper Field during an assumption of responsibility ceremony. For many of the bandsmen, serving in the band is much more than a job, the 1st Cavalry Division band is a huge part of the 1st Cavalry Division legacy.  

KILLEEN, TX, UNITED STATES

08.19.2021

Story by Staff Sgt. Carolyn Hart 

1st Cavalry Division

All of the elements that go into a successful Army ceremony are important. Whether that be the vehicle displays, the speakers during the ceremony, the Honor Guard and the Soldier formations. These do not come together to capture a 1st Cavalry ceremony until the band does its job.
For many of the bandsmen, serving in the band is much more than a job, it is a lifelong passion that the Army has helped them realize. And unlike most other military occupational specialties, theirs is a skillset that is acquired long before they join the Army.
“I’ve been playing my instrument for 20 years,” explained Spc. Shannon Walsh-Chargualaf, a trumpeter and bugler with two years in the Army. “My husband and I both auditioned to join the Army band while we were in school. We knew this was a job we could do together, and it was doing something we both love.”
“Being in the band is a unique experience, because we are the only people on this post who do what we do,” explained Sgt. 1st Class Kristin M. Chandler, a bandsmen with 17 years in the Army. “I’ve been in six different bands throughout my Army career, and I can say the 1st Cav band is so unique because of the history of the Cav. A First Team ceremony is like no other because of the traditions that go into it.”
Performing on Cooper Field during a 1st Cavalry Division ceremony is a distinct experience, and one that could only be made more special by the celebration of the 1CD’s 100th birthday.
“It’s a great thing to stand up there and know that we contribute what we do, and the way we do,” said 1st Lt. Bonnie Alger, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division band. “When we’re doing these ceremonies and I’m working with this wonderful group of people, we all want to work together and set the standard for everyone else who’s on that ceremony with us.”
History will be made on September 13 as the 1st Cavalry Division celebrates its centennial and the 1st Cavalry Division Band will be at the center of the ceremony.
“We are a premier musical organization,” said Alger. “We are representing the division. We’re representing the Army with our efforts and our professionalism. So to showcase all of this during such a big event and important time in history is an honor.”
The tradition of a 1st Cavalry Division ceremony is long standing and one that many people are astonished by.
“It’s amazing to experience a 1st Cav ceremony,” said Alger. “I’m blown away by the heraldry, the troops out on the field, the horses charging at the end. I’ve talked to colleagues at other places, and they don’t have all of the elements that we’re able to produce and support.”
“My dad was a Cavalry Soldier,” said Chandler. “So to stand on this field and know that I get to be a part of his history as well as my own is pretty cool.”

• Date Taken: 08.19.2021
• Date Posted: 08.20.2021 18:14
• Story ID: 403647
• Location: KILLEEN, TX, US