While musical excellence has always been its standard, The United States Army Field Band has not always been its name. Near the close of World War II, Chief Warrant Officer Chester E. Whiting returned from overseas duty to help organize the 1st Combat Infantry Band at Ft. George G. Meade, Maryland. Composed entirely of Soldiers with musical talents who had served in combat in all theaters of the war, the band began an immediate mission of bolstering support for their fellow Soldiers. Initially, the band toured for a year and a half performing in community outreach concerts that also supported the sale of War Bonds. Its success earned the band the unofficial title "The Million Dollar Band."

In 1946, General Jacob Devers, commander of the Army Ground Forces, commissioned Chief Whiting to “organize a band that will carry into the grassroots of our country the story of our magnificent Army, its glorious traditions and achievements.” The 1st Combat Infantry Band became The Army Ground Forces Band, and performed in the nation’s capital and toured extensively around the United States. The Army Ground Forces became the Army Field Forces in 1948, and consequently the band’s name was changed to The United States Army Field Band in 1950.

Although these early years brought many name changes, the band's mission never wavered. The Musical Ambassadors of the Army maintain this mission by bringing the American Soldier and a diverse musical repertoire to local, national, and international audiences.

The Field Band continually demonstrates its ability to change in meeting operational challenges. The development of various performing components has enhanced the band's mission throughout the past seven decades.

As early as 1946, instrumentalists from the Musical Ambassadors doubled as the Glee Club, which soon earned the name the Soldiers’ Chorus. Witnessing one of their performances, Major General W. Preston Corderman remarked that the Chorus, “through its stirring musical renditions, is one of the most effective vehicles for bringing the U.S. Army closer to the American people.” In 1957, the Soldiers’ Chorus became a separate component of trained vocalists, performing both with and without the Concert Band in spreading the Army message.

An evolution of effective home-grown Jazz ensembles within the Army Field Band, the Studio Band was founded in 1969 as an official performing component. Consisting of world class performers and arrangers, it used jazz as an extremely effective medium to bring Americans together — especially in high school performances for young people. It’s name was changed to “the Jazz Ambassadors” in 1978, as the band continued promoting the Army in the United States and abroad through touring and performances at the world’s best jazz festivals and alongside major symphony orchestras.

The Volunteers was a folk trio of talented members who had a successful civilian touring and recording career together, and enlisted with The United States Army Field Band in 1970. They performed alone and with the Soldiers’ Chorus and were a continuation of the Field Band’s focus on developing versatile small ensembles. After an initial run until 1973, The Volunteers reformed in 1981 under original member Dennis Blanchard, becoming an official touring component. Over the next 30 years, they recorded albums and performed nationwide, paving the way for today’s Six String Soldiers, the Army’s premier acoustic group.