By Melissa Buckley, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (November 7, 2024) — Community members gathered to listen to the 399th Army Band fill Nutter Field House with music for the last time Oct. 24 during a farewell concert and inactivation ceremony.

Maj. Gen. Christopher Beck, Fort Leonard Wood and Maneuver Support Center of Excellence commanding general, opened the ceremony by talking about the “incredible impact” the 399th Army Band has had on the installation and surrounding communities.

“We are clearly going to miss this organization,” Beck said.

Weaved throughout the band’s 13-song send off, the narrator spoke about the significance of the song choices and explained the unit’s history for attendees.

Some of the final songs the band performed included, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “American Soldier,” “God Bless America,” “Missing Missouri” and “Missouri Moon.”

The band was originally activated more than 80 years ago, on June 1, 1944, as the 399th Armed Service Forces Band in Naples, Italy. Two years later, on Sept. 5, 1946, the band officially accepted their current name, the 399th Army Band. They were briefly inactivated on Jan. 20, 1947, following the end of their tour in Europe, only to be reactivated, from Nov. 13, 1947, to May 5, 1949.

It wasn’t until March 7, 1955, that the band was reactivated once again at their current home, Fort Leonard Wood, where, from day one, they have had an integral role in, not only the ceremonies they have performed in, but the history of the installation, as well.

With 70 years of continuous service at Fort Leonard Wood, the 399th has been on post longer than any other unit.

During the ceremony the band’s drum major was officially dismissed when 1st Sgt. Jennifer Champagne, 399th Army Band vocalist and drum major, placed her mace, also known as a baton, on the ground, removed her baldric, a red sash embroidered with the band’s crest, and her crisp white gloves laying them on the ground alongside her mace.

The band’s guidon was also cased, or covered, signaling the official inactivation of the band.

When Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jared DeLaney, 399th Army Band commander and bandmaster, took the stage he surprised former bandmembers in the audience by inviting them to “fall in” to a formation with the band’s current Soldiers.

As the formation of past and present Soldiers stood at attention before the crowd, some were smiling proudly, while others had tears welled up in their eyes.

“There are some people in this formation that are in these historical photos on the Nutter Field House walls. And there are new Soldiers in this formation that this is their first duty station in the Army,” DeLaney said as he spoke about what an honor it is to be a part of an Army band.

Because the main job of an Army band is to “enable commanders and lift morale,” DeLaney said being in a military band is “different and unique.”

“Music brings something special to events,” DeLaney said. “We are proud of the 399th Army Band and the other 17 active bands in the Army’s inventory.”

To close the ceremony, Champagne thanked attendees for coming and introduced the final song the 399th Army Band played, “Route 66.”

“Thank you for joining us this evening to commemorate the 70 years of support the 399th Army Band has been part of this outstanding community,” said Champagne. “We will never forget your heart-felt appreciations and the time we’ve spent serving you.”

More photos from the inactivation ceremony can be viewed on Fort Leonard Wood’s Flickr page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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About Fort Leonard Wood

Fort Leonard Wood is a thriving and prosperous installation that has evolved from a small basic training post more than 75 years ago to a premier Army Center of Excellence that trains more than 80,000 military and civilians each year.

Fort Leonard Wood is home to the U.S Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and three U.S. Army schools: the U.S. Army Engineer School; U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School; and the U.S. Army Military Police School. In addition to training engineer, CBRN and military police specialties for the Army, Fort Leonard Wood also provides gender-integrated in-processing and Basic Combat Training for new Soldiers.

Fort Leonard Wood also hosts and trains with the largest Marine Corps Detachment and Air Force Squadron on any Army installation as well as a large Navy construction detachment.