The 188th Army Band - ND Army National Guard

05/31/2026

Pictures from the beautiful North Dakota Veterans Cemetery Memorial Day Program. The Cover Down Brass Ensemble is honored to support this event each year. 🇺🇸

Members include Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Johnson (Tuba), Staff Sgt. Gus Tandberg (NCOIC, French Horn), Sgt. Ben Helfrich (Musical Director, Trombone), Sgt. Natalie Helfrich (Trombone), Sgt. Andrew Bergan (Trumpet), Sgt. Jaden Rohrich (Trumpet), and Spc. Anson Chojnacki (Trombone)

📸 : Sgt. Amanda Fox, 188th Army Ban

05/30/2026

Our unit has the privilege of supporting the ND Veterans Cemetery Memorial Day Program each year. This year was particularly special for 188th Army Band siblings Sergeants Ben and Natalie Helfrich, as they had the honor of singing the national anthem together!

People around North Dakota spent today paying tribute to fallen servicemembers. Veterans, friends and family gathered Monday at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery for a Memorial Day ceremony.

05/11/2026

What a weekend! Every two years, the 188th hits the road to march in the Bismarck Band Night Parade and the Williston Band Day Parade.

The community support shown in these two cities is incredible. From start to finish, the roads are packed with people of all ages! 

The marching band is under the leadership of drum major, Staff Sgt. Zachary Fischer.

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to all the incredible moms who support our Army Band family!

We celebrate the mothers serving in our ranks, the wives holding down the homefront while their Soldiers are away, and the moms of our troops who continue to encourage and support them every step of the way.

Thank you for all you do! 🌺🌹🌼

05/10/2026

CONGRATULATIONS to our newest non-commissioned officer, Sgt. Katie Woodside! She was pinned by her husband, Isaac, and surrounded by her awesome family support team. 🙌

Sgt. Woodside serves as a piano player in Flashbang and as a percussionist in the concert and marching bands.

Welcome to the NCO corps, Sgt. Woodside! 🇺🇸

05/09/2026

Flashbang closed out their 2026 Music in Our Schools tour with performances in Garrison and Max. Both audiences were FULL of energy, and we had a total💥BLAST💥 playing for them!

Stay tuned for video footage. 🎥

05/07/2026

Flashbang is on the road this week for Music in Our Schools tour! What an AWESOME opportunity to share the mission of the Army National Guard through music with K-12 students across central North Dakota.

A huge thank you to our wonderful audiences in Underwood, Turtle Lake, and Wilton. The students have been respectful, energetic, and patriotic!

Two more shows on deck tomorrow. 🎸🥁🎤

Pride In Performance! 🎶🇺🇸

04/21/2026

Congrats to Staff Sgt. Tommy Iken, former 188th Army Band member, on his runner-up finish at the Best Warrior Competition in Massachusetts. Staff Sgt. Iken transferred to the 215th Army Band in order to continue serving while attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology!

04/15/2026

04/15/2026

We want to extend a great, big HOOAH to our newly promoted non-commissioned officers: Staff Sgt. Devon Tucker, Sgt. Cherie Frenzel, and Sgt. Natalie Helfrich. We are so proud of these troops! 🎶🇺🇸

Staff Sgt. Tucker serves as the non-commissioned officer in charge of the No Brass No Ammo Woodwind Ensemble. He plays bassoon in the concert band and sousaphone in the marching band. In addition, he serves as the unit librarian. He resides in Grand Forks, ND.

Sgt. Frenzel plays clarinet in the concert and marching bands. She is our resident awards expert, and she also serves as the sound technician for the Flash Bang Variety Band. She lives in Mandan, ND.

Sgt. Helfrich is a University of North Dakota student who hails from Berthold, ND. She plays trombone in the concert band, marching band, and Cover Down Brass Ensemble. In addition to her musical contributions, she is also an important part of our social media team, serving as a Unit Public Affairs Representative.

Congrats to these fine NCOs!