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Army Reserve soldiers train to beat band

  • Published
  • By 99th Regional Support Command Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  Soldiers from the Army Reserve's 319th Army Band honed their unique skills during the past two weeks as part of the Army Reserve's joint combat support training exercise here.

During the CSTX, these warrior-citizens orchestrated a symphony of technical skills blended with tactical proficiency that was designed to result in a ready and resilient unit that would be music to any commander's ears.

"In addition to being able to do our musical performances, this is giving us the opportunity to see the tactical part, which would be identical to our mission if we were deployed," explained Chief Warrant Officer Luis Santiago, commander of the 319th Army Band, which is stationed at Fort Totten, N.Y.

Although Army Reserve bands do not typically deploy like their active-duty counterparts, they are still held to the same standards of readiness and preparedness as any other Army unit. The CSTX is hosted by the Army Reserve's 78th Training Division and supports the five-year Army Force Generation cycle, which offers a structured progression of predictable unit readiness over time, resulting in recurring availability of trained, ready, and cohesive Army Reserve units.

"Operational readiness of the Army Reserve is important, and we've spent the last decade or so gaining experience, gaining the operational readiness, and we're truly a ready force for our nation," said Col. Don Stenzel, deputy commander of the 78th Training Division.

Soldiers from the 319th's higher headquarters, the Army Reserve's 99th Regional Support Command, assisted in offering realistic and relevant training for the band members, focusing on the types of situations that a deployed band would likely encounter.

"In order to prepare for this, we had to do drivers training, HAZMAT [hazardous materials] training, movement and maneuvers - all the tactical things that go along with this," Santiago said.

At future CSTXs and similar exercises, other Army Reserve bands may follow the beat of the 319th's drum and take advantage of the training opportunities these events offer.