Command Staff

Colonel Bruce R. Pulver is a native of Melbourne, Florida. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Master of Music Education degree from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

Colonel Pulver’s past assignments include: Chief of Army Bands/Commandant, United States Army School of Music, Virginia Beach, Virginia; Commander, United States Army Europe Band & Chorus, Germany; Deputy Commander, The United States Army Field Band, Washington, D.C.; Department of the Army Staff Bands Officer; Executive Officer, United States Army Europe Band & Chorus, Germany; Company Commander, United States Army School of Music; Executive Officer, Army Ground Forces Band, Fort McPherson, Atlanta, Georgia; 98th Army Band, Fort Rucker, Alabama; and the First Army Band, Fort Meade, Maryland. Prior to entering military service, he taught in the public schools as a high school and middle school band and choral director.

His military education includes: Primary Leadership Development Course, Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Air Assault School, Fort Belvoir, Virginia; Officer Candidate School, Fort Benning, Georgia; Airborne School, Fort Benning, Georgia; Adjutant General Officer Basic Course, Fort Jackson, South Carolina; the Army Band Officer Course, Norfolk, Virginia; Adjutant General Captain’s Career Course, Fort Jackson, South Carolina; the Combined Arms and Services Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; and the Advanced Operations & Warfighting Course, Command & General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Colonel Pulver’s military awards and decorations include: the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Service Star, the Global War on Terror Service Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal, the NATO Medal, the Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Non-commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Superior Unit Award, the Air Assault Badge, and the Parachutist Badge.

Colonel Pulver and his wife, Dianne, have two children. Their daughter is a music educator in Houston, Texas, and mother to their two grandchildren. Their son is a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

A native of Marshall, Missouri, Lieutenant Colonel Bartel began his military service in 1996 with the United States Marine Corps, serving for six years as a trumpet instrumentalist with the Quantico Marine Corps Band in Quantico, VA. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Central Methodist University and a Master of Music degree in Wind Band Conducting from the University of Missouri, and served for four years as the Director of Bands at Elsberry Public Schools near St. Louis, MO.

Prior to this assignment, Lieutenant Colonel Bartel was the Commander of the United States Army Europe and Africa Band and Chorus in Germany for four years. During this time he was responsible for 700 events across 45 countries, strengthening relationships and connections over two continents, and building partnerships with 26 allied and partner militaries. He led the Band and Chorus as it performed for the 75th and 78th anniversaries of D-Day in Normandy, France, culminating with musical support for the commemoration at Normandy-American Cemetery, hosted by the Presidents of the United States and France.

Prior to this position, Lieutenant Colonel Bartel was the Commander of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command Band at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA; Associate Bandmaster, The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own”, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, VA; Band Programs Officer, United States Forces-Iraq, Camp Victory, Iraq; Staff Bands Officer, U.S. Army Forces Command, Fort McPherson, GA; and Executive Officer and Associate Conductor, Army Ground Forces Band, Fort McPherson, GA.

Lieutenant Colonel Bartel attended Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia, receiving his commission as a Distinguished Military Graduate in 2005. He was the honor graduate and recipient of the President Benjamin Harrison Medal at the Adjutant General Officer Basic Course at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and is a graduate of Captain’s Career Course, Army School of Music and Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, KS.

During his first assignment with The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” he served as the Director of The U.S. Army Ceremonial Band and The U.S. Army Herald Trumpets. He has led performances for five U.S. presidents, heads of state and international civilian and military leaders. He conducted performances for the 57th Presidential Inauguration, as well as multiple ceremonies and events at The White House, U.S. Capitol, Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery, and throughout the National Capital Region. He has performed in numerous televised events such as our nation’s “National Memorial Day Concert” and “A Capitol Fourth” concerts with the National Symphony Orchestra, the American Composer John Williams 80th Birthday celebration with the Boston Pops at Tanglewood, and annual holiday broadcasts of “Christmas in Washington.” He has conducted alongside John Williams and Keith Lockhart, and has appeared on national and international media broadcasts across Europe.

His military awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (fourth award), Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (Gold) and the Norwegian Militaere Marsjmerket (Bronze).

His wife of 25 years is Regina, a Personal Trainer and Fitness coach, and they have two sons, Kody, 25, and Ethan, 22.

Major Aaron Morris serves as the Executive Officer of the U.S. Army Band, as the Associate Conductor and Officer in Charge of the Army Ceremonial Band, the Army Herald Trumpets, and he is the Officer in Charge of the Army Band Support Element. A native of Finksburg, Maryland, he holds a Bachelor of Music Performance from the University of Maryland, a Masters of Music Education from Old Dominion University, and a Masters of Operational Studies from the Command and General Staff College. His previous teachers and mentors include Dale Underwood, Dennis Zeisler, and Dr. Nancy Klein.

Major Morris began his military career in 2005 as a saxophonist with the 257th Army National Guard Band in Washington, D.C. In 2007, he joined the Training and Doctrine Command Band at Ft. Monroe, Virginia. While at the TRADOC Band, he was the first awardee of the Army Bands Soldier of the Year Award.

Major Morris received his commission in 2009 from the Officer Candidate School at Ft. Benning, Georgia where he was a Distinguished Military Graduate. He was then assigned to the Army School of Music in Little Creek, Virginia where he served as Executive Officer. He later served in the Army Forces Command, G-1 as the Staff Bands Officer, at the Forces Command Headquarters at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In this position, he was responsible for the evaluation and support of all aspects pertaining to the 76 FORSCOM Army Music Units. Major Morris then served as the Executive Officer of the United States Army Europe (USAREUR) Band and Chorus. During his tenure with the USAREUR Band and Chorus, the unit performed in over 25 countries for over 250 million people. Some highlights of his time with the USAREUR Band and Chorus include organizing and leading the NATO Saxophone Ensemble at the 2015 World Saxophone Congress, performing at the 2016 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and leading the Soldiers Chorus in performances in Kyiv, Ukraine. Most recently, Major Morris was in command of the Maneuver Center of Excellence Band at Ft. Benning, GA.

Major Morris military awards include: the Meritorious Service Medal (2 OCLs), Army Commendation Medal (5 OLCs), the Army Achievement Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Army Overseas Service Ribbon. Major Morris also holds an Additional Skill Identifier as an Information Operations Planner.

Major Morris and his wife, Meredith, have two lovely children, Brynn and Holden.

Captain Richard Viglucci serves as an Associate Conductor with The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” in Washington, DC. A native of Albany, NY, he holds a Bachelor of Music in Clarinet Performance from SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music, a Master of Music in Clarinet Performance from Northwestern University, a Master of Music in Conducting from Northern Arizona University, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Clarinet Performance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. CPT Viglucci’s DMA document, A Comparative Study on Nineteenth-Century Works for Clarinet Based on Motives from the Operas by Gaetano Donizetti, studied the historical background of nineteenth-century operatic fantasy for clarinet, its importance and niche in the culture of nineteenth-century Italy, and its uses by clarinet virtuosi from that period.

His academic awards include the Crane Certificate of Merit, the Rocque E. Dominick Memorial Award, the Crane Certificate of Honor in Music Performance, the Hixson-Lied Graduate Fellowship, and the F. Pace Woods Graduate Music Scholarship. Performance awards include the 2003 Julia Crane Concerto Competition for his performance of Aaron Copland’s Concerto for Clarinet, Strings and Harp, the 2012 UNL Concerto Competition for his performance of Luigi Bassi’s Fantasy on Themes from Verdi’s Rigoletto, and the 2012 Chiara Quartet Chamber Competition for his performance of Brahms’s Clarinet Quintet, op. 115.

Prior to joining the Army, CPT Viglucci was an active clarinet performer and teacher. Former contracted orchestral positions include the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra, Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra and Minot Symphony Orchestra, as well as regular substitute engagements with the Omaha Symphony Orchestra. Previous teaching positions include Director of Bands and Woodwinds at Minot State University, Instructor at Union College in Lincoln, NE, Director of Bands at Northland Preparatory Academy in Flagstaff, AZ, and summer teaching at Camp Encore-Coda, ME.

CPT Viglucci’s previous military assignments include Clarinetist with the United States Army Ground Forces Band at Fort Bragg, NC (2014-15), Executive Officer and Associate Conductor of the TRADOC Band at Fort Eustis, VA (2015-18), and the Executive Officer and Associate Conductor of the 1st Cavalry Division Band at Fort Hood, TX (2018-20). His military training includes Army Musician Advanced Individual Training, JEB Little Creek, VA; Officer Candidate School, Fort Benning, GA; Basic Officer Leadership Course, JEB Little Creek, VA; and Captain’s Career Course, JEB Little Creek, VA.

CPT Viglucci’s military awards include the Army Commendation Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters; the Army Achievement medal; the National Defense Service Medal; the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; and the Army Service ribbon.

Captain Bonnie Alger is the Officer in Charge of The U.S. Army Chorus, the first female director in the ensemble’s history. A native of New Milford, Connecticut, she holds a doctorate in conducting from the University of Maryland - College Park, where she was a graduate assistant in the orchestra program and performing arts center. While at Maryland she sang with the University of Maryland Concert Choir in performances with the Baltimore and National Symphony Orchestras. Alger also holds a master’s degree in music education from the University of Southern California, a master’s degree in conducting from the University of Northern Iowa, and a bachelor’s degree from Lawrence University. Her dissertation focuses on the history and culture of women’s orchestras outside of the United States.

Alger has led performances with The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” at Fort Myer, Virginia; The United States Army Field Band at Fort Meade, Maryland; and the Training and Doctrine Command Band at Fort Eustis, Virginia. She previously served as Executive Officer for the 1st Cavalry Division Band at Fort Hood, Texas.

Prior to joining the Army, Alger maintained an active schedule as a freelance conductor, singer, violinist, clinician, educator, and arts administrator throughout the D.C. metro area, the Midwest, and Los Angeles. She also spent two years as the Director of Choral Activities at GEMS American Academy in Abu Dhabi, where her students were invited to sing at an international honor choir festival in Stavanger, Norway, as well as participate in collaborations with Philadelphia-based Orchestra 2001 and the legendary recording artist Quincy Jones. She has served as both a cover conductor and music librarian for the National Symphony Orchestra, an adjudicator for the Association of Music in International Schools, and a clinician for universities and high schools across the United States.

Alger and her shepherd mix, Maurice, live in Northern Virginia.

Chief Warrant Officer Three (CW3) Benjamin W. McMillan is a native of Dacusville, South Carolina; son of Hugh and Virginia McMillan. He completed secondary education at Wade Hampton High School in Greenville, South Carolina. Mr. McMillan graduated from nearby Furman University in 2000, earning Cum Laude honors with both the Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and the Bachelor of Music degree in Trumpet Performance. Mr. McMillan subsequently earned the Master of Music degree in Trumpet Performance from the University of North Texas in 2003. He also attended the University of South Carolina for post-graduate study in music and served as a band graduate assistant.

Mr. McMillan joined the South Carolina Army National Guard as a Musician (Trumpet/Bugler) with the 246th Army Band in April 2005. He graduated Basic Combat Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, in June 2006, and he was selected for early completion of Advanced Individual Training at the US Army School of Music at Join Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Virginia. His Active Duty enlisted assignments include the Training and Doctrine Command Band, Ft. Monroe, Virginia, the US Army Europe Band and Chorus, Tompkins Barracks, Germany, and the US Army Signal Corps Band, Ft. Gordon, Georgia. Mr. McMillan is a Commandant's List graduate of Warrior Leader Course, an Honor Graduate of Advanced Leader Course, and an Honor Graduate of Warrant Officer Candidate School. He has completed Warrant Officer Basic and Advanced Courses. Prior to leading The U.S. Army Blues and Army Band Downrange, Mr. McMillan led the 1st Infantry Division Band, Fort Riley, Kansas, and the 399th Army Band, Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri.

Throughout his military career, CW3 McMillan has enjoyed performing as featured soloist and guest conductor across the United States and Europe to include guest-conducting the St. Louis and Salina Symphonies and recording with the International Military Musicians Society. In December 2019, Mr. McMillan led the 1st Infantry Division Brass Quintet on a troop morale deployment in support of the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve across Kuwait, Iraq, and austere locations in Syria, representing the first US Military music mission in that country. Mr. McMillan is a recipient of the Colonel Finley Hamilton Outstanding Military Musician Award. He has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (2OLC), the Army Commendation Medal (3OLC), the Army Achievement Medal (4OLC), the Army Good Conduct Medal (2nd Award), the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal. Mr. McMillan is an alumnus of Sigma Pi Sigma, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Phi Beta Kappa Honor Societies in Physics, Music, and Academics.

Chief Warrant Officer Three McMillan is married and has one son and a cat.

Command Sergeant Major Julian R. Ayers, Sr. was appointed the fifth Command Sergeant Major of The United States Army Band "Pershing's Own" in September 2019. A native of Washington, D.C., CSM Ayers started his career in the trombone section of the Ceremonial Band and joined the Herald Trumpets in February of 2001. In January 2016 he was appointed Unit Drum Major.

CSM Ayers earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Duquesne University in 1996 and a Master of Music degree from the same institution in 1998. While at Duquesne, he studied with Robert Hamrick and Murray Crewe. He has performed professionally with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Wheeling Symphony prior to joining The U.S. Army Band. Significant missions with the Army Band include the opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, five Presidential Inaugurations, Recognition of the 50th Anniversary of the Korean War, and the Rededication of the St. Lawrence Seaway to name just a few.

Military awards earned include the Meritorious Service Medal, 2nd award, the Army Commendation Medal, 4th award, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, 6th award, Global War on Terrorism Medal, and the National Defense Medal.