Gunnery Sergeant Sean Schmidlin
Drum Major
Marine Band San Diego
Hailing from Cortez Colorado, Gunnery Sergeant Sean G. Schmidlin entered the Marine Corps in August, 1992. After graduating recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California he attended Marine Combat Training (MCT) at Camp Pendleton, California. Upon completion of MCT, then Private First Class Schmidlin, attended the Basic Music Course at the Armed Forces School of Music at Little Creek, Virginia.
Graduating in August of 1993, Lance Corporal Schmidlin was assigned as a trombonist with the Marine Forces Pacific Band, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. While stationed in Hawaii, he studied music at University of Hawaii.
Corporal Schmidlin went back to the Armed Forces School of Music in December 1996 to attend the Section Leaders Course (SLC) where he was promoted to Sergeant.
Upon graduation of the SLC in July, 1997, Sergeant Schmidlin was assigned to the Marine Forces Reserve Band, New Orleans, Louisiana. In addition to his regular duties as an instrumentalist, he served as the Administration Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge, Trombone Section Leader, Platoon Sergeant, and Acting Drum Major.
In November 2000, Sergeant Schmidlin was selected to represent the Marine Corps in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Band in Naples, Italy. There, his assignments were instrumentalist, supply, and operations. He was promoted to Staff Sergeant in November 2002
and received orders to Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California where he was selected as Drum Major.
June 2006, Staff Sergeant Schmidlin was selected to be a Drill Band and Drum Major instructor at the Armed Forces School of Music, Little Creek, Virginia. While on staff, he also served as the School of Music Registrar and Platoon Sergeant for the Marine Detachment.
In June 2008, Staff Sergeant Schmidlin was assigned as the Drum Major for the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Band, Twentynine Pamls, California where he was also promoted to his present rank of Gunnery Sergeant.
Shortly after the Marine Band in Twentynine Palms was de-activated in January 2012, Gunnery Sergeant Schmidlin was again assigned to the Marine Corps Rectruit Depot Band San Diego, California where he currently serves as the Drum Major.
His personal awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (2nd Award), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (3rd award), and the Marine Corps Good Conduct Award (6th award).