Warrant Officer Lee Cullen joined the Royal Marines Band Service in 1984 and after completing training at the Royal Marines School of Music in 1986 took up his first draft in the Band of HM Royal Marines C-in-C Fleet. After 3 years in London, he was drafted to Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command (C-in-C Nav Home) Portsmouth, and very quickly deployed on HM Royal Yacht Britannia. This was an extremely memorable 3 year period, which included what he now considers some of the best years within the RMBS.
In 1992 he took up the position of Volunteer Band Instructor for the Corps of Drums. Promoted to Cpl, he spent 3-4 weeks in each of the Naval Volunteer Bands, developing their Corps of Drums and providing the Bandmasters with much needed specialist assistance. This draft saw him travel the length and breadth of the UK over a two year period, as well as a trip to Gibraltar to work with the Volunteer Band in HMS Rooke and several trips to Germany to participate in the legendary Cologne Carnival.
During 1994 he moved back to Portsmouth and resumed his usual Band Service role. This was followed by a successful Senior Command Course and B1 Musical Training Course in 1996, the latter being awarded a Distinguished Pass. In 1997 he was promoted to Sergeant and moved with this promotion to Cornwall, serving in RM Band Plymouth, in HMS Raleigh. Three years later and a nine month visit to Portsmouth again, a further promotion to Colour Sergeant took him to the Commando Training Centre Band. Two years later he moved to the band at the Britannia Royal Naval College at Dartmouth and then in 2004 moved back to Plymouth after being appointed Bugle Major.