Why did you start the band?

Without you - the individual - there is no band. Without the right people stepping up to replace you, long after you’re gone, there is no band. So, if someone in the future ever asks me, “Why did you start the band?” I think I would simply reply: “Look in the mirror.”

If you find yourself in Washington, D.C. today, your ears may catch a sound unlike any other - a solemn dirge of drums followed by the haunting wail of bagpipes. These aren’t just notes; they’re echoes of sacrifice, tradition, and honor. The sound reverberates through the streets, carrying with it the grief of families, the memories of comrades lost, and the enduring pride of those who serve.

But this year, one sound will be missing. One presence will be absent.

Not long after its inception in the 1986, the New Jersey State Police Pipes and Drums of the Blue and Gold have been a fixture during Police Week - marching with resolve, mourning with grace, and standing tall for every fallen badge. Created to honor the ultimate sacrifice, the band is a living tribute to both the traditions of Celtic and military music and the deep brotherhood of law enforcement.

Yet, this year, they will not be in D.C.

Because 250 miles north, in northern New Jersey, another ceremony is taking place - one that demands their presence even more.

A brother is being laid to rest.

Detective First Sergeant Joseph Keely (Ret.) was no stranger to the sound of the pipes. He played at countless funerals, where “Amazing Grace” carved tears into the hardened faces of men and women who seldom cry. He stood, time after time, beneath flag-draped caskets and before grieving families, his pipes speaking when words failed.

But more than that, Keely was the band. He started the band.

Long before it became a full ensemble, before the tartans and synchronized steps, Keely stood alone - one trooper with a vision and a set of bagpipes. He drove across the state, often solo, offering the only music that could meet the gravity of death in the line of duty or the celebration of long career.

What began as one man’s tribute quickly caught fire. Young troopers, drawn to the mission and the meaning, joined him. Not just to play - but to honor. To remember. To build something greater than themselves.

From that lone piper came a band that has grown in strength, size, and spirit. Diverse in background, united in purpose. And though much has changed, two rules remain:

1. You must be an enlisted Trooper - active or retired.

2. You must play to honor the fallen and preserve the sacred heritage of policing.

These aren’t just guidelines. They are promises.

Keely was a U.S. Marine - there are no former Marines - and a New Jersey State Trooper. His life was rooted in duty, honor, and sacrifice. And those same principles are etched into every note the band plays.

His path was not without resistance. Starting a pipe band within a law enforcement agency required more than just passion - it demanded perseverance, grit, and unshakable belief. The same toughness he carried through Vietnam and complex criminal investigations, including the notorious case of Trooper Philip Lamonaco’s murder, became the foundation of his legacy.

The band is no longer just a band. It is a standard. It is a symbol of “The Outfit.” And Keely is the soul behind its sound.

One day, a young trooper asked Keely why he started the band.

His answer was simple – humble -but profound:

“Just look in the mirror.”

Because the band was never about him. It was about you - every law enforcement officer or member of military service who ever stood in formation, every family who found comfort in the sound of the pipes, every citizen who felt pride swell in their chest during a parade or a funeral.

Today, in the nation’s capital, thousands gather to honor heroes. But somewhere beyond the granite walls, beyond the black bands on badges and the crisp salutes, there is a quieter march beginning.

Pipe Major Keely is leading now. Not here, but on the other side of the gates - where fallen heroes wait.

And if you listen closely, you might just hear the pipes begin to play.

Semper Fi, Pipe Major Keely. Your watch is over. But your music plays on.

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I can never know what my life would be without the NJSP Pipe Band, but I have had a career with experiences and opportunities beyond my wildest expectations, and membership in this band has been one of the most rewarding experiences and that is because Joe had the courage, vision, and tenacity to found the band almost 40 years ago. - Joe B