Chief Warrant Officer 2 Michael Stephen Duskin was born on September 21, 1970, and was a native of Orange Park, Florida. In 1993 he married Maggie and began a life of service that would make the Duskins a multigenerational Army family.
That same year Mike enlisted as a forward observer. After Basic and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and Airborne School at Fort Benning, he served as a platoon forward observer with Company B, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. After three years with the Rangers he left active duty and joined the Florida Army National Guard. In 1998 he passed Special Forces Assessment and Selection and graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in August of that year. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne) as a Special Forces engineer sergeant.
In 2001 Mike was mobilized and deployed with Operational Detachment Alpha 361, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne). He returned to active duty afterward and stayed with the 2nd Battalion until December 2007, deploying four more times. He was then selected as an instructor at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, where he taught the Special Forces Advanced Reconnaissance Target Analysis and Exploitation Techniques Course. While an instructor he earned his warrant, graduating from the Special Forces Warrant Officer Technical and Tactical Certification Course in May 2010. He joined Company A, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) as an assistant detachment commander.
Mike’s training included the Jungle Operations Training Course, the Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat Course, SERE, the Special Operations Target Interdiction Course and the Jumpmaster Course. A gifted marksman, he loved tactical shooting and shared that passion with his teammates. His awards include two Bronze Star Medals, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, three Army Commendation Medals, the Army Achievement Medal, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Parachutist Badge and the Special Forces Tab.
On October 23, 2012, during his seventh deployment and his second tour in Afghanistan as an assistant detachment commander, Mike was killed by enemy small-arms fire while on a dismounted patrol in the Chak District of Wardak Province. He was 42. He was posthumously awarded a third Bronze Star Medal, a second Meritorious Service Medal and the Purple Heart.
Mike is survived by his wife, Maggie, his sons Nathan and Jacob, his daughter Alexis, his grandson Lucas, his parents George and Claire Duskin and his sister Ann Duskin-Chauffe. Both of his sons followed him into Army service. Maggie went on to serve other families of the fallen as executive director of the Duskin and Stephens Foundation, which honors Mike and his teammate Sergeant First Class Riley Stephens through support for families, healing programs and education grants for children of fallen operators. The 3rd Special Forces Group holds the Duskin Memorial 3-Gun Match in his name, and his love of the sport is part of the founding spirit of the Memorial Valor Foundation’s own Memorial 3-Gun competition.
CW2 Duskin was a giant among men—both in physical presence and in his unwavering dedication to his country and teammates.
Memorial Valor Foundation Memorial Tribute
Sources
- ARSOF History: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Michael S. Duskin
- Green Beret Foundation: Michael S. Duskin
- DoD casualty release via eNews Park Forest (Oct. 24, 2012)
- News4Jax: Orange Park soldier killed in Afghanistan
- GWOT Memorial Foundation: Maggie Duskin
- DVIDS: U.S. Army Specialist wins Duskin 3-Gun Championships
- Family-provided records on file with MVF: Mike Duskin Bio.docx / Bio2.docx
