VETERANS SPOTLIGHT
In The Bag
G4S’s Robbie Byrne volunteers his time and music at veterans services
R
obbie Byrne was nervous, and for good reason. He stood in the heart of Buckingham Palace staring at the Queen of England. She knew what he was doing and if he made one mistake, she’d know it. He feared the worst. One false step, one false move of his fingers and she would know what he had done. So he played on. His fingers moved meticulously through every note on his bagpipe. His concentration at an all-time high. This was not the time to bring anything but his best. Through every tune, Byrne hit every note, careful not to make the smallest mistake. Not everyone gets to play for the Queen of England with the British Scots Guards. But if you do, you’d better be ready. Byrne was born in England to Irish parents when his family was on vacation. After spending much of his childhood in Dublin, his father, a construction foreman, relocated the family to England as the amount of work in Ireland began to diminish. As a child, Byrne admittedly had more than enough energy, constantly finding his way into the wrong situation. To keep his son out of trouble, Byrne’s father enlisted the help of a friend hoping that a new craft would keep his son in line. “I fell in love with bagpiping,” Byrne said. “All my energy went into that and I was never in trouble again. It was kind of a lifesaver, playing the bagpipes.” Beginning at age 12, Byrne began doing shows and learning as much as he could. At 16, Byrne auditioned to be a member of the British Scots Guards’ Pipes and Drums, part of the Queen’s Regiment. Deployed to Northern Ireland, Byrne and the Pipes and Drums did everything the same as soldiers. They patrolled and were involved in combat, just like any other soldier. “Forget the bagpipes,” Byrne said of his time in combat. “You put your kilt down and you get in your soldiers uniform.” Byrne spent seven years with the Scots Guards, playing at some of the planet’s most impressive venues, but playing in front of the Queen was a whole different adventure.
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“The Queen has her own piper, so she knows all the tunes,” said Byrne. “She would lean back in her chair and look at the pipers. She’s listening to see if you’re making a mistake. “Once when I was looking at her, she looked right at me, and I was thinking, ‘I hope I don’t make a mistake. If I do, I’m going to get dragged out of here and put in the Tower of London for days and days.’” After retiring from the military, Byrne began looking for something new. His wife tragically lost her battle to cancer, and when visiting his sister in California, Byrne decided to make a permanent move himself. Byrne, a security officer working for G4S in California for seven years, later married his current wife, Diane, a Bakersfield native, and started the Irish Traditional Music Session. His connection to the military motivated Byrne to volunteer his time to play at veteran services in Bakersfield. “I appreciate G4S giving me time off,” said Byrne. “I love doing it anyway, being an ex-soldier.” As much as Byrne gives to the families, the moment returns it to him. “When you’re playing a funeral, and you see them lowered into the ground or cremated, it makes you realize just how short life is. How really short life is and you could die from anything. Anytime I came away from a funeral, you kind of realize life is short. “You say good things to your wife, you’re better to your kids. You have a better outlook. It makes you a better person. I come away from the funeral and realize I could be a better person.” Byrne, who is the author of four books, including an awardwinning radio screen play in Europe, has also released six musical albums. But to him, he’s not famous. He can look back and say he’s done impressive things, but he realizes life is about so much more. “People ask me, ‘why aren’t you living in Los Angeles in a mansion with 10 swimming pools?’ It’s not about money, not about how much you got or accumulate. It’s about what you’re giving to other people. And no matter what little on the scale, if everyone did a little, it would make the world a better place.”
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G4S Military Outreach Initiatives, Awards, Recognition & Statistics Most Valuable Employer (MVE) for Military by CivilianJobs.com - 2014
26%
Estimated number of G4S employees in the U.S. are military veterans
12,822
Number of veterans hired by G4S since August 2011 in conjuction with the White House’s “Joining Forces” campaign
23%
Percent of our security officers have military experience
Military Employer of the Year Transition Assistance Online
4,900
Number of veterans hired between April 2015 and April 2016
VetJobs Outstanding Military Employer - 2014