202nd Army Band

Listeners can enjoy a sampling of the 202nd Army Band Thursday when it plays 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Stanford Depot. The band, which is stationed in Frankfort, will include the stop as part of its two-week tour in the summer.

Before arriving in this area, it will have kicked off its tour at the Highland Games in Glasgow and given downtown concerts in Bowling Green, Henderson, Elizabethtown, Owensboro, Frankfort, Morehead, Ashland.

The band was formed at the end of World War II in Lexington. It has seen its ranks grow from less than 20 musicians to an authorized strength of 41.

Members include teachers from all over the state, one from South Carolina and one who plays with the Disney World band.

Over the years, the band has been stationed in high school gymnasiums and aircraft hangars. Today the 202nd uses a modern rehearsal facility in Frankfort.

After 23 years in Ashland, the 202nd shifted duty stations to Louisville in 1970. While Louisville served as headquarters for only a year, it was during this period that Chief Warrant Officer John M. Hoover assumed command. He served 25 years, making him the longest serving active officer in the state's National Guard to have led the same unit. Chief Warrant Officer Greg Stepp assumed command next. He has a master's degree in music and over 10 years of conducting experience.

In Frankfort, the band drills at Boone National Guard Center. After moving to Frankfort, emphasis shifted from traditional military training to the unit's role as a public relations tool for Kentucky's National Guard.

Over the years, the band has accompanied nationally renowned singers such as Danny Thomas and performed at Jackson Square in New Orleans. The band has seen service in Mississippi, Virginia, Georgia and Michigan. During the 1991 Desert Storm and Desert Shield campaign, 202nd bandsmen participated in support of the 101st "Screaming Eagles" Airborne band. In 1994, the unit performed its first overseas tour in Santiago, Chile.