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Holiday Notes from Home 2011

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. William Tortolano & Master Sgt. Bryce Bunner
  • The USAF Band
Washington, D.C. --  In October, the Air Force Strings traveled to Nashville, joining the Band of the Air Force Reserve (Robins AFB, Ga.) and country superstars Lee Ann Womack and Little Big Town at the Grand Ole Opry for "Holiday Notes from Home." This live concert taping will be broadcast across the globe via the Armed Forces Network, and nationally via Great American Country (GAC) TV network throughout the holidays.
Upcoming GAC Broadcast dates:
December 15, 2011 10:00 AM ET
December 18, 2011 10:00 AM ET
December 18, 2011 8:00 PM ET
December 19, 2011 12:00 AM ET
December 22, 2011 8:00 PM ET

Armed Forces Network:
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, check local listings

The one-hour program will reach tens of thousands of deployed service members and millions of homes stateside, bringing everyone a little closer to home during the holiday season.

"Holiday Notes from Home" began nearly twenty years ago as a radio show, and over the years has grown into a full-fledged international television production nominated for an Emmy Award in 2009. This year's broadcast was hosted by Lt. Gen. Charles E. Stenner, Chief of Air Force Reserve. The program was produced by Retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Ballengee and conducted by Major Donald Schofield the commander of the Band of the Air Force Reserve.

This marks the sixth occasion the Air Force Strings have combined forces with the Band of the Reserve and some of the greatest stars in the country music, including Wynonna and Naomi Judd, Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Lee Greenwood, Lonestar, Take 6 and Aaron Neville. The Strings were featured on radio broadcasts of the program in 2003 and 2005, and the television broadcasts since 2007, with the exception of 2010 when the Grand Ole Opry was closed due to severe flooding.

It was an honor for members of The U.S. Air Force Band from Washington, D.C. to join forces with Air Force band career field musicians for such a meaningful endeavor. It is our hope that this program will celebrate servicemembers and their families around the world with a little taste of "home" during the holiday season.