Master Gunnery Sgt. Duane King has experienced his share of interesting assignments while serving as the senior enlisted member of “The President’s Own.” King has been part of thousands of performances in his nearly 11 years as the band’s senior enlisted leader, including leading the band into the studio for the Late Show with David Letterman in 2017, performing for Pope Francis in 2015 and meeting King Charles III while representing the Marine Band at the Mountbatten Festival of Music in 2023.

Now, after 30 years of service as a United States Marine, King will pass the torch to a new Drum Major on May 5, when he will retire and be replaced by Master Sgt. Steven Williams during a Relief and Appointment ceremony at Marine Barracks Washington, D.C.

King joined the Marine Corps in 1994 and attended recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in Beaufort, South Carolina. Following recruit training, he attended the basic course at the Armed Forces School of Music in Little Creek, Virginia, as a trumpet player and received orders to the Marine Forces Reserve Band in New Orleans in October 1995.

“To this day, my most memorable experience prior to joining ‘The President’s Own’ is leading the Marine Forces Reserve Band as Drum Major for the New Orleans Saints’ Super Bowl parade in 2010. The energy of that parade was electric. The band and the city melded into one giant celebration. For me, time stood still that day,” King said.

In June 2010, King was selected to be the Assistant Drum Major of “The President’s Own,” where he led the band in ceremonial commitments and, as company gunnery sergeant, was responsible for unit and new member training. Following his tenure as Assistant Drum Major, he returned to the Marine Forces Reserve Band, where he served as Drum Major.

In 2013, after it was announced that 39th Drum Major Master Gunnery Sgt. William Browne would be retiring, King auditioned won the position. He rejoined the band in May 2014, 11 years to the month before King’s own retirement.

As Drum Major of “The President’s Own,” King has led the band in over 800 full honors funerals, 125 evening parades, five State Arrivals at the White House, numerous Patriotic Openers and hundreds of special ceremonies. He also led “The President’s Own” during the 2017 inaugural parade celebrating President Donald Trump’s first term as president.

While he has led the band in high profile events and served his career in the spotlight, Drum Major King’s pride comes from the people he led and served:

“The accomplishment I am most proud of during my time as Drum Major has been developing trust and rapport with the members of this organization. To hear people tell me that when I lead a performance they are 100% confident in my abilities to lead the band in any scenario is humbling. As leaders, we strive to put our people in a position to succeed and do their jobs to the best of their ability. Hearing statements such as this gives me hope that I have, in some way, been the type of leader that I admired as a young Marine.”

Once he retires, King plans to head back to his home state of Florida. He already has a new project — “I’m currently writing a book on American military-style drum majoring and leadership, and I hope to work with high school and college students on ways to be better drum majors and leaders,” King said.

As he reminisces on his career, King reflected on guidance he received when he decided to join the Marine Corps. “’Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.’ My mother gave me this advice when I was in high school and was thinking about joining the Marine Corps as a trumpet player; I have tried to live this ideal ever since,” King said.

He continued, “Serving my country through music in the Marine Corps and having the honor of leading the greatest band in the world has never been ‘work’ in my opinion. It was hard at times, but nothing worth having is going to be easy. Chase your passions.”