Saying goodbye difficult for band's members

  • Published
  • By Bo Joyner
  • Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command
Citizen Airman/Apr. 2013 --  The active-duty musicians who make up the Band of the Air Force Reserve all have their orders now and will soon be packing up their gear and heading to their next assignment.

"Everybody knows where they are going now, and they will be leaving Robins (Air Force Base, Ga.,) in increments over the next few months," 1st Lt. Thomas Gamboa, the band's commander and conductor, said during a recent interview. The band found out in March 2012 that it was being inactivated. The official inactivation takes place Sept. 30.

"We have had a few people retire, but the 30 or so members of the band who are still here should all be PCSed by mid-September," Gamboa said.

He said most of the members of the Band of the Air Force Reserve will be heading to four different locations: Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, home of the U.S. Air Force Band of the West; Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., home of the U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Band; Scott AFB, Ill., home of the U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America or Travis AFB, Calif., home of the U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West.

The conductor has his own orders to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where he will be assigned to the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Band.

The force structure announcement of March 2012 hit the Air Force bands hard. In addition to the Band of the Air Force Reserve, the U.S. Air Force Band of Liberty at Hanscom AFB, Mass., and the U.S. Air Force Band of the Pacific-Alaska at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, were slated for inactivation. The U.S. Air Force Band of Flight, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, and the U.S. Air Force Heartland of America Band, Offutt AFB, Neb., each went from 45 members down to 15.

Gamboa assumed command of the band on July 3, 2012, and he has been at the helm for what has been a difficult transition year.

"It's been tough because the Band of the Air Force Reserve has such deep ties with the local community," he said. "Saying goodbye to all of the friends we have made over the years is difficult."

A lot of the band members themselves have deep ties to Middle Georgia. Staff Sgt. Juan Jimenez, a French horn player, has been with the Reserve band since September 2002.

"I've been here for more than 10 years," he said. "This is the only assignment I have ever had. When I heard they were shutting down the band, it was heartbreaking."

Jimenez has orders to report to the Heritage of America Band at Langley later this summer.

The sergeant said he has some great memories of his time with the Band of the Air Force Reserve.

"Operation Season's Greetings, Holiday Notes from Home, the Independence Day concerts ... It's been a tremendous assignment," he said. "We've entertained thousands of people over the years, and we've had a ball doing it."

Gamboa agreed.

"We are all extremely proud of what the Band of the Air Force Reserve has done over the years," he said. "It's remarkable the places we have been, the shows we have put on and the audiences we have played for. Now it's time to look to the future and set our sights on serving the Air Force where we are needed the most."