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ALBANY, GA. -- The city of Albany packed downtown's municipal auditorium to bid farewell to the Albany Marine Band.

After 22 years in the area, the band played its final performance Tuesday night.

“I'm very very sorry to see them go. Being a former marine, I'm going to really miss them,” said Albany resident Donald Bouchard.

As the musicians played their last notes, they couldn’t believe the journey was coming to an end.

“It's kind of surreal. It's kind of overwhelming right now to believe that the Albany Marine Corps band will be leaving the city of Albany,” said Marine Corps Band Musician Staff Sgt. Terri Kopetzki.

Each player will be packing up their instruments and taking duty with other marine bands across the nation. They say playing before the Albany crowd one last time has forced them to accept the fact that their family is being torn apart.

“It's kind of like leaving your family during the family reunion and saying goodbye I’ll see you next time,” said Terri Kopetzki.

In the two years that Kopetzki has been with the band, she says the bond that kept them together has grown stronger and while they'll be separated, distance won't keep them apart.