Leadership
Chief Warrant Officer Three James M. Bettencourt, Commander and Conductor
Chief Warrant Officer Three James M. Bettencourt is a native of New Bedford, Massachusetts and a graduate of New Bedford High School. He holds Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education degrees from Boston University, and has begun graduate studies at the University of Southern California. His previous assignments include trumpet instrumentalist with the Army Ground Forces Band at Fort McPherson, Georgia, the Warrant Officer Basic Course at Fort Rucker, Alabama, The Bandmaster Basic Course a the Army School of Music in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the 282nd Army Band at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, the First Armored Division Band in Wiesbaden, Germany, and the US Army Europe, Band and Chorus, in Heidelberg Germany. He is a veteran of the Iraqi Sovereignty and Operation New Dawn Campaigns, deploying to Iraq as commander of the First Armored Division Band in 2010.
Mr. Bettencourt and his wife, who is originally from Lake Mary, Florida have been married since 1997, and have two daughters. His awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (2nd award), the Army Commendation Medal (4th award), The Army Achievement Medal (4th award), the Meritorious Unit Citation, the Army Good Conduct Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.
First Sergeant Robert T. Lynch, Enlisted Bandleader
First Sergeant Robert T. Lynch assumed the duties of First Sergeant and Enlisted Bandleader of the U.S. Army Signal Corps Band on June 15, 2012. He hails from Centereach, New York, where he graduated from Ward Melville High School in 1977. He enlisted in the Army in 1992, and his previous assignments include the 18th Army Band, Fort Devens, Massachusetts (1993-1994), the 296th Army Band, Camp Zama, Japan (1994-2003), the Army Ground Forces Band at Fort McPherson, Georgia (2003-2006), a return to the 296th Army Band at Camp Zama (2006-2009), the 56th Army Band at Fort Lewis, Washington (2009-2010), and the U.S. Army, Europe, Band and Chorus in Heidelberg, Germany (2010-2012).
First Sergeant Lynch's military education includes the Warrior Leader Course, the Army Band Advanced Leader Course, and the Army Band Senior Leader Course, and is qualified to serve as an instrumental instructor at the Army and Navy Schools of Music. His civilian education includes a Bachelor of Music Performance from Fredonia State College, and a Master of Brass Performance from Boston University. Prior to his military service, First Sergeant Lynch was a founding member of the Boston Brass, held the bass trombone chair with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, and performed with the Rhode Island Philharmonic, the Springfield (Massachusetts) Symphony Orchestra, and the Sendai (Japan) Philharmonic.
His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (3rd award), the Army Commendation Medal (2nd award), the Army Achievement Medal (5th award), the Army Good Conduct Medal (6th award), and the National Defense Service Medal. In addition, 1SG Lynch was recognized as the 1997 U.S. Army Japan Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, The 1997 U.S. Army Pacific NCO of the Year, and the 2001 Army Bands Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. He is married, and he and his wife, who is from Wakamatsu, Japan, have a teenage daughter.