(Oswego, NY) The Citizen Soldier musicians of the New York Army National Guard’s 42nd Infantry Division Band will perform several concerts over seven days this July as part of their annual unit training. Part of the unit’s tour will include three performance in Central New York for residents of Geneva, Skaneateles and Oswego.

The 42nd Infantry Band includes more than three dozen Citizen Soldiers who perform as a complete musical band as well as specialty musical performing groups.

The New York Army National Guard Soldiers will perform locally at:

*Saturday, July 24 at the Oswego Harbor Fest in Oswego, N.Y. at 4 p.m.

The 42nd Infantry Division Band is the musical ambassador for the 42nd Infantry Division, New York Army National Guard.

The New York Army National Guard’s 42nd Infantry Division Band is based at the Camp Smith Training Site near Cortlandt Manor, N.Y. The mission of the band is to furnish music whenever and wherever while serving our nation and our community. In combat bandsmen traditionally served as stretcher bearers, today they pull security missions and perform other military duties when not playing to support troop morale.

The 42nd Infantry Division Band consists of 36 talented musicians from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Connecticut. Band members are called upon as Army National Guardsmen to provide entertainment for civic and military ceremonies, parades and concerts and perform a variety of music including classical, concert, marches/patriotic, pop and jazz.

The band consists of different performing Groups which include Concert Band, Marching/Ceremonial Band, Brass Quintet, Woodwind Quintet, Jazz Combo, Latin Band, Rock Combo and Buglers. The majority of the unit’s skilled musicians are versatile on more than one instrument, which enables the band to perform for various types of military and civic functions.

The band drills one weekend per month and has 15 days of active duty per year. Full-time occupations of the band members include students (both high school seniors and college), music education/music industry, construction, government, medical/therapeutic, pharmaceutical, information technology, criminal justice and management.

The 42nd Infantry Division Band has a long proud history, from WWII to the present, providing music to troops and civic events. The majority of travel is within New York but the 42nd Infantry Division Band has been called upon to travel to Virginia, Germany and a combat deployment to Iraq in 2005.

The 42nd Infantry Division Band is under the command of Chief Warrant Officer Mark L. Kimes and First Sergeant Leslie G. Saroka.