Warrant officer 1 (WOL) Juan Harrigan assumed command of the 666 Army National Guard band during change of command ceremonies Saturday at the Leonard B. Francis armory in St. Thomas.
Harrigan, a member of the 666 army band for 16 years, took over from Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CW3) Lawrence Benjamin, who commanded the band for 15 years.
Harrigan recently graduated from the US Army School of Music in Little Creek, Virginia. He was the first National Guard or reserve officer ever to attend this school, which is the music school for the full-time, active Army, Navy and Marines.
"I want to get the band up to full strength," said Harrigan. The band is alloted 41 members and is currently ten members short.
"We have a need for musicians that play instruments such as the bassoon, oboe, baritone sax, tuba, and percussion instruments."
The 666 Army National Guard band has functioned as goodwill ambassadors for the Virgin Islands both on the mainland and internationally.
"The band has traveled to many states on the mainland as well as to international countries such as Morocco, Jamaica, Algiers, Chile, Barbados, Honduras, Dominica, the Bahamas and others," said Harrigan. "The band provides a great opportunity to travel and see the world." Harrigan is band director at the Addelita Cancryn Junior High School, where he has taught music for 12 years. He has also used his musical talents over the years in local bands such as the Imaginations Brass, Pyour Passion, Mandingo Brass, and Dred Ones Brass, as well as X-press Band, with whom he has won two Brass-O-Rama championships.