Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Richard Winkels, a native of Red Wing, Minnesota, is a third-generation Soldier currently serving as the Commander of the United States Army Europe and Africa Band & Chorus. He previously served as the Deputy Commander of The United States Army Field Band, Washington, D.C.
LTC Winkels’ prior assignments include service at Headquarters, Department of the Army, where he was responsible for Army Bands policy and proponency oversight between the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs and the Chief, Army Bands. He has commanded and served in key leadership positions across multiple major commands, including Commander, 82d Airborne Division Band and Chorus, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Deputy Commander, United States Military Academy Band, West Point, New York; Commander, 1st Armored Division Band, Fort Bliss, Texas; and Executive Officer, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Band, Fort Eustis, Virginia. Additional assignments include Associate Bandmaster and Officer in Charge of The U.S. Army Concert Band, “Pershing’s Own,” Washington, D.C., and senior U.S. military music advisor for U.S. Army Central (USARCENT), Southwest Asia, stationed at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
In 2016, LTC Winkels deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, serving as the Army Music Liaison Officer for U.S. Army Central. In this role, he coordinated musical support across the region for deployed troops and U.S. Embassies, strengthening partnerships and morale through strategic music engagements.
As Commander of the 1st Armored Division Band, LTC Winkels oversaw the execution of more than 3,000 military and community events, broadening the organization’s outreach and advancing U.S. Army interests both domestically and internationally. During his tenure as Officer in Charge of The U.S. Army Concert Band, he directed and produced performances for senior military and civilian leaders at national and international venues. In October 2012, he led The U.S. Army Concert Band in a historic military-to-military exchange with the Military Band of the People’s Liberation Army of China—an engagement that fostered international goodwill and strengthened cultural diplomacy.
LTC Winkels holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. He began his military music career in 2002 and was commissioned as a band officer in September 2007.