FORT BRAGG, N.C. (March 6, 2011) -- "We want to ensure the band members are getting the right kind of facility because we love these guys," said Maj. Gen. Todd T. Semonite, commander of the South Atlantic Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, during a recent inspection tour of the Army Forces Command's Army Ground Forces Band's new training facility under construction here.
"All of us have seen with bands over the years that not only do they carry the traditions and the esprit of the Army, but they fire up our troops and let our Soldiers know morale is a critical part of being a Soldier and war fighting," he noted. "That's why we're glad we can give them a building that meets the same high level as they do in the performance of their profession."
The AGFB's 18,748-square-foot, state-of-the-art building is 65 percent complete and on schedule to be turned over the Army at the end of June when the Soldier-musicians will have moved here from Fort McPherson, Ga.
As George V. Blackard of USACE's Fort Bragg Area Office reports: "The roof is complete. The exterior studs are at 100 percent and the interior studs 95 percent. Installation of the gypsum wall board is more than 65 percent done, with finishing started in some areas already. The plumbing rough is complete. The HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) and electrical are close to being completed. And we've begun the EIFS (exterior insulation finish system). The interior work is driving the critical path."
The new building will consolidate the band's operations, which are currently scattered around various locations at Fort McPherson.
"They'll really enjoy this new facility," observed Col. Jeffrey M. Hall, commander and district engineer for the USACE's Savannah District, when he was here in February to check on the project's progress. "It has the right size and type of music rooms. The construction is top quality, and the contractors are doing a great job."
The band will move with Headquarters, Army Forces Command, in accordance with the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure legislation.
For more information on the Army Ground Forces Band, visit www.forscom.army.mil/band.
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