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Band supports our wounded warriors

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Jenn Pagnard
  • The U.S. Air Force Band
Bethesda, Md. --  The first part of The U.S. Air Force Band's mission is to honor those who have served. On March 7, the Band began an initiative focused on honoring some very special members who have served--our nation's Wounded Warriors.

Throughout the month of March, several of the Band's small ensembles performed for these service members and their families during lunch at the Wounded Warrior Café at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) in Bethesda, Md.

This café is located in Walter Reed's Tranquility Hall. This new ADA-compliant facility is one of several outpatient barracks where wounded warriors from all services live while continuing to heal and undergo rehabilitation from traumatic combat injuries.

According to WRNMMC's website, "We provide 24/7 support, guidance, clothing [and] necessities to our wounded warriors and their family members. Our philosophy is to lift them up and support them from the minute they arrive so that they feel as if their feet never hit the ground."

Tranquility Hall provides a home-like environment for patients, and because of the additional bedroom, allows for multiple caregivers, such as parents, spouses, or a non-medical attendant, to stay and assist the service member.

The director of operations for the Band, Maj. Scott Guidry, is proud of this new partnership with WRNMMC.

"Taking care of Airmen and their families is central to our mission; and that naturally expands to all our military brothers and sisters. While these brave warriors are in the finest medical care possible, we believe music also has a healing power of its own. I feel certain that our USAF Bandsmen's gifts are being put to use in a most noble way, and my hope is that we are making a difference in the lives of those who have sacrificed so much," Guidry said.

Many more small ensemble performances at the Wounded Warrior Café are planned in the coming months. Through these events, the members of The U.S. Air Force Band are seeking to fulfill one of the most important parts of their mission--to honor those who have served.