ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - Behind every National Guard Soldier or Airman lies talent, passion and skills that often reach farther than just their military jobs. Guard members often come with life experience and technical skills that can't be learned through the military alone.
Army National Guard Master Sgt. Randy Dukes, the post-deployment health reassessment coordinator for the Florida National Guard, recently tied into his lifelong passion for songwriting to highlight the unique contributions of the National Guard in his song, "I am your National Guard."
The song was used in a recent video to highlight the value of the Florida National Guard. The song's chorus emphasizes the diverse backgrounds and experiences National Guard members possess.
The chorus is, "I fight fires, hurricanes and floods across our land. I'm no stranger to Iraq or Afghanistan. I'm a single mom, a city cop, I work the lumberyard. I'll be there, I'm everywhere. I am your National Guard."
Dukes came up with the chorus of the song right away, but it took awhile for the rest of the song to come out right.
"When [the oil spill] happened in the Gulf - I believe it was when they finally thought they had it fixed - I was driving down the road from Camp Blanding and it came to me," he said. "That night I played it on the guitar and figured out where I wanted to go with it."
Although Dukes sings his own songs and plays the guitar, he is most proud of his songwriting abilities. He wrote his first song at the age of 13. Throughout his life, he would put his experiences into songs, using opportunities like deployments and long stretches of train rides to write lyrics.
"Generally it comes from a hook that I get in my mind," Dukes said. "I'll work it all out in my head and then I sit down later with a guitar and try to figure out how to marry the two."
He describes his style as country due to his southern accent, but feels his lyrics are universal.
"When I was 22, I went through a failed relationship and I started writing all of those things down," he said. "At the time, country music had gone from urban cowboy back to the traditional stuff and I liked that. It inspired me and I started out writing more of a traditional country song."
Dukes joined the military at 17, choosing to enter into the Special Forces. In 1991, his unit, the Florida National Guard's 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group, was mobilized in support of Operation Desert Storm. Although the unit didn't deploy overseas, they spent a long stretch of time training at Fort Bragg, N.C. During that time, Dukes did a lot of songwriting, building a base of hundreds of songs and a desire to commit more time and effort towards his music when he returned home.
"I made a commitment to myself then that I would come back and buy a guitar and do music," he said. "Up until that point, I used to share my thoughts with co-workers or my mom or girlfriend and ask them what they thought."
Now, he receives feedback from the many people his music touches locally and worldwide through the internet.
"I don't really know where it comes from and I didn't know until just in the recent past the effect it has on people," Dukes said.
He attributes his success to the sense of resolve that has been ingrained into him during his military service.
"What [serving in the military] did for me is it filled me with a great sense of pride and determination that there's nothing out there that scares me or causes me to worry about how I'm going to survive or how I'm going to make it in this world," Dukes said. "That same kind of determination is what enabled me to make these records and not need anyone to do it for me."
After Sept. 11, 2001, Dukes deployed overseas with the 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group. He brought his CDs with him and quickly built a new base of Army fans. During his second tour, he had several opportunities to play for his fellow Soldiers and some of the local population. The encouragement he received there gave him the confidence to come back and continue making music.
Though Dukes has come into and out of the military throughout his more than 31 years of service, he says it's the camaraderie and adventure that draws him back each time.
"I think that's the piece that kept me in," he said. "In Special Forces, it's always something or someplace different and the other cultures have always interested me. Working with indigenous people is most rewarding and even though we aren't all the same, you can relate to those people and they relate to you more than you'd think."
It's this connection with others that drives him in his latest undertaking in working with risk reduction, resilience and suicide prevention within the Florida National Guard. He is involved in suicide prevention efforts and teaching Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Techniques to Guard members throughout the state.
As for his music, Dukes continues to write music and perform locally. He says he will continue to make music as long as his music continues to influence others.
"I don't think anything or write anything that someone else isn't thinking," said Dukes. "There's something there that allows me to put it together into a song that someone can relate to."
Video link:
"I am your National Guard" music video