Master Sergeant Steven Williams is the 41st Drum Major of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band. He joined the Marine Band in April 2013 as the Assistant Drum Major and was an Operations Assistant and Operations Chief from June 2017 to April 2025. He was named Drum Major in May 2025.
Master Sgt. Williams began his musical training on trumpet at age 8. After graduating from Lampeter-Strasburg High School in Lancaster in 2002, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and attended recruit training at Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Beaufort, S.C. Following recruit training, he attended Marine Combat Training and the basic course at the Armed Forces School of Music in Little Creek, Va., as a trumpet player. He then received orders to the 2D Marine Aircraft Wing Band in Cherry Point, N.C. From January to September 2005 he was deployed to the Al Anbar Province in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III. In 2006, he received orders to the Albany Marine Band in Georgia, and in 2009 returned to the Armed Forces School of Music to attend the Unit Leader Course. Prior to joining “The President’s Own” he was stationed with the 2D Marine Division Band at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. He became Assistant Drum Major for "The President's Own" in April 2013, where he led the band in ceremonial commitments and, as the Company Gunnery Sergeant, oversaw unit and new member training. He returned to the Marine Band in June 2017 as an Operations Assistant before becoming Operations Chief in 2023.
As Drum Major of “The President’s Own,” Master Sgt. Williams serves as the senior enlisted member of the unit and is responsible for the band’s appearance, ceremonial drill, and military decorum. He is charged with directing the band in ceremonial commitments, including the inaugural parade, and will regularly lead the band in review for U.S. Presidents, heads of state, and international dignitaries.