Inauguration Day: History in the Making Published Jan. 26, 2009 By MSgt Brian McCurdy USAF Band Bolling AFB, Washington, DC -- This was an Inauguration Day that members of The United States Air Force Band will never forget. According to the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee, more than 5,000 men and women in uniform provided ceremonial support on January 20th. The historic nature of this day was enough to make the event memorable. Then, because of concerns about traffic jams, security and logistics, the Band went to great measures to ensure that the day would go off without a hitch. On the eve of the Inaugural, Band members slept overnight in Historic Hangar II at Bolling Air Force Base--the home of The USAF Band. This was highly unusual, but due to the fact that every major route into the city was scheduled to close at 2:00 a.m. on the day of the Inaugural, there was little doubt that this measure was necessary. Most of the day was spent waiting in one of three places: on the bus, in the warming tent or in the middle of Constitution Avenue. After sitting on the buses for several hours, band members went through the security screening. For some timely perspective, this was when the oath of office was being administered across the Potomac River at the U.S. Capitol Building. After more time on the bus, it was time to proceed to the warming tent. The most challenging part of the day came when the Band made the trek from the warming tent to the parade start. This included a two-hour period where members stood in formation in front of the Museum of Natural History on Constitution Avenue waiting for the parade to begin. The college band directly in front of The USAF Band, The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, was waiting in the cold as well. In order to keep warm, they began an impromptu performance of their own music, complete with choreography. Just watching them made everyone in the band feel warmer! Technical Sgt. Willie Clark, one of the nine Sousaphone players in The Air Force Band, led a quasi-conga line (regimental style) to help keep band members moving. His antics helped keep the Band warm and caused time to pass more quickly! When it was finally time to step off, band members were glad to be moving and playing. The ensemble alternated between two marches: The Washington Post and Trombones Triumphant. Once the Band arrived at the Presidential reviewing stand on Pennsylvania Avenue, it was time for four Ruffles and Flourishes and The Air Force Song. An enthusiastic salute from our new commander in chief was well worth the wait. At 6:30 p.m., the Band returned to the buses. For most, the day was done and the mission was complete; but for others, it was off to one of the ten official Inaugural Balls. The buses made it back to Bolling AFB at 7:30 p.m., nearly 24 hours after the journey began the day before. Those who were performing at the balls would arrive back at base early Wednesday morning--all in a day's work! While much of the Inauguration Day was spent waiting in various locations, members of The USAF Band never forgot the overwhelming historical importance of this occasion. Riding into the city on the buses gave band members an amazing perspective of the mass of people that came to witness history. It was an honor to be a small part of such a big celebration of freedom and democracy.