Senior enlisted member of the U.S. Army
The
sergeant major of the Army
(
SMA
) is a unique
non-commissioned
rank and position of office in the
United States Army
. The holder of this rank and position is the most senior
enlisted
soldier in the Army, unless an enlisted soldier is serving as the
senior enlisted advisor to the chairman
. The SMA is appointed to serve as a spokesman to address the issues of enlisted soldiers to all officers, from
warrant officers
and lieutenants to the Army's highest positions. As such, they are the senior enlisted advisor to the
chief of staff of the Army
. The exact duties vary depending on the chief of staff, though much of the SMA's time is spent traveling throughout the Army, observing training and talking with soldiers and their families.
Kenneth O. Preston
held the rank from 15 January 2004 through 28 February 2011, the only incumbent to serve longer than five years.
[2]
SMA
Michael R. Weimer
has held the office since 4 August 2023.
[3]
[4]
The SMA is designated a special
paygrade
above
E-9
. While the SMA is a non-commissioned officer, protocol places the SMA higher than all
lieutenant generals
[5]
(except for the Director of the Army Staff) and equivalent to a
general
for formal courtesies in addition to seating, billeting, transportation, and parking.
History
[
edit
]
The rank and position were based on those of the
sergeant major of the Marine Corps
(established in its current incarnation on 23 May 1957).
[6]
The Chief of Staff of the Army created the position in 1966 after asking leaders of the major commands for a personal recommendation. He asked that it not be considered a near-retirement type assignment. He listed seven duties and functions he expected the Sergeant Major to perform, including service as a personal adviser and assistant on matters pertaining to enlisted soldiers. From 4,700 proposed candidates, 21 nominees were selected. Finally chosen was the only one then serving in
Vietnam
,
Sergeant Major
William O. Wooldridge
of the
1st Infantry Division
.
[7]
The other services later followed, creating the positions of
master chief petty officer of the Navy
and
chief master sergeant of the Air Force
in 1967,
master chief petty officer of the Coast Guard
in 1969,
senior enlisted advisor to the chairman
in 2005, and
chief master sergeant of the Space Force
in 2020. These seven positions are collectively referred to as "senior enlisted advisors" ("SEAs").
Insignia
[
edit
]
- SMA insignia timeline
-
1966?1979
-
1979?1994
-
-
2010?present, green background replaced with dark blue
-
2019?present, tan on olive for use on green service replaced the dark blue as the primary uniform.
The sergeant major of the Army, like counterparts in the other branches, wears a unique rank insignia, including a unique collar insignia ("brass").
The collar insignia of the SMA is the shield portion of the collar insignia of an
aide-de-camp to the Army Chief of Staff
(less the surmounting eagle), placed upon an
enlisted collar disk
of gold color, one inch in diameter. The insignia worn by SMA Wooldridge was hand-soldered by Colonel Jasper J. Wilson from the cannibalized insignia and enlisted collar brass of an aide. The insignia was approved on 4 July 1966.
[9]
Originally, the SMA would wear the device on each collar, but he now wears the standard "U.S." disk on his right collar as do all enlisted soldiers.
[10]
This insignia is also worn in place of a unit insignia on the SMA's beret, garrison cap, and pull-over sweater.
[11]
The collar insignia of the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman ("SEAC") of the JCS, approved 2 February 2006, is based directly upon that of the SMA, and features the shield of an aide de camp to the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff (without the surmounting eagle), on a gold-colored disk.
The SMA's cap device, worn on the front of the blue
service cap
(and, formerly, the white service cap; and, until 2011 the green service cap) is a gold-colored rendering of the United States' coat of arms, surrounded by a wreath.
[12]
The cap device for all other U.S. Army enlisted soldiers is a gold-colored rendering of the United States' coat of arms on a gold-colored disk (males) or surrounded by a gold colored ring (females).
[13]
The chief master sergeant of the Air Force has the same cap device as the SMA, but in silver-colored metal.
Positional color
[
edit
]
The sergeant major of the Army, chief master sergeant of the Air Force,
chief master sergeant of the Space Force
, and the
senior enlisted advisor to the chairman
are the only members of the United States armed forces below the rank of
brigadier general
/
rear admiral, lower half
to be authorized a positional color (flag). First considered in 1992,
[14]
the SMA's color has been authorized since 22 March 1999.
[15]
It is based on the design of his collar insignia and the
positional flag of the Chief of Staff, Army
. Like the SEAC's collar brass, the SEAC's positional color was patterned after the SMA's color.
List of sergeants major of the Army
[
edit
]
No.
|
Portrait
|
SMA
[16]
|
Took office
|
Left office
|
Time in office
|
Chief of Staff
|
1
| | Wooldridge, William
William O. Wooldridge
(1922?2012)
| 11 July 1966
| 31 August 1968
| 2 years, 51 days
| Harold K. Johnson
William Westmoreland
|
2
| | Dunaway, George
George W. Dunaway
(1922?2008)
| 1 September 1968
| 30 September 1970
| 2 years, 29 days
| William Westmoreland
|
3
| | Copeland, Silas
Silas L. Copeland
(1920?2001)
| 1 October 1970
| 30 June 1973
| 2 years, 272 days
| William Westmoreland
Creighton Abrams
|
4
| | Autreve, Leon
Leon L. Van Autreve
(1920?2002)
| 1 July 1973
| 30 June 1975
| 1 year, 364 days
| Creighton Abrams
Frederick C. Weyand
|
5
| | Bainbridge, William
William G. Bainbridge
(1925?2008)
| 1 July 1975
| 30 June 1979
| 3 years, 364 days
| Frederick C. Weyand
Bernard W. Rogers
Edward C. Meyer
|
6
| | Connelly, William
William A. Connelly
(1931?2019)
| 1 July 1979
| 30 June 1983
| 3 years, 364 days
| Edward C. Meyer
|
7
| | Morrell, Glen
Glen E. Morrell
(1936?2023)
| 1 July 1983
| 30 June 1987
| 3 years, 364 days
| John A. Wickham Jr.
Carl E. Vuono
|
8
| | Gates, Julius
Julius W. Gates
(born 1941)
| 1 July 1987
| 30 June 1991
| 3 years, 364 days
| Carl E. Vuono
Gordon R. Sullivan
|
9
| | Kidd, Richard
Richard A. Kidd
(born 1943)
| 1 July 1991
| 16 June 1995
| 3 years, 350 days
| Gordon R. Sullivan
|
10
| | McKinney, Gene
Gene C. McKinney
(born 1950)
| 30 June 1995
| 13 October 1997
| 2 years, 105 days
| Gordon R. Sullivan
Dennis Reimer
|
11
| | Hall, Robert
Robert E. Hall
(born 1947)
| 13 October 1997
| 23 June 2000
| 2 years, 266 days
| Dennis Reimer
Eric Shinseki
|
12
| | Tilley, Jack
Jack L. Tilley
(born 1948)
| 23 June 2000
| 15 January 2004
| 3 years, 206 days
| Eric Shinseki
Peter Schoomaker
|
13
| | Preston, Kenneth
Kenneth O. Preston
(born 1957)
| 15 January 2004
| 1 March 2011
| 7 years, 45 days
| Peter Schoomaker
George W. Casey Jr.
|
14
| | Chandler, Raymond
Raymond F. Chandler
(born 1962)
| 1 March 2011
| 30 January 2015
| 3 years, 335 days
| George W. Casey Jr.
Martin Dempsey
Raymond T. Odierno
|
15
| | Dailey, Daniel
Daniel A. Dailey
(born 1969)
| 30 January 2015
| 9 August 2019
| 4 years, 191 days
| Raymond T. Odierno
Mark A. Milley
|
16
| | Grinston, Michael
Michael A. Grinston
(born 1968)
| 9 August 2019
| 4 August 2023
| 3 years, 360 days
| James C. McConville
|
17
| | Weimer, Michael
Michael R. Weimer
(born
c.
1971
)
| 4 August 2023
| Incumbent
| 292 days
| Randy A. George
|
Timeline
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Monthly rates of Basic Pay (Enlisted) ? effective January 1, 2024"
. Defense Financing and Accounting Service
. Retrieved
23 January
2024
.
- ^
"Sergeant Major Kenneth O. Preston - Sergeant Major Army"
. Archived from
the original
on 12 September 2007
. Retrieved
22 September
2007
.
- ^
"Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Weimer selected as 17th Sergeant Major of the Army"
.
U.S. Army
.
Washington, D. C.
: U.S. Army Public Affairs. 12 December 2022
. Retrieved
24 February
2023
.
- ^
"Webcast: Relinquishment of Responsibility for GEN James McConville / Change of Responsibility SMA Michael Grinston"
.
DVIDS
. Retrieved
28 July
2023
.
- ^
Department of the Army A Guide to Protocol and Etiquette for Official Entertainment
, 5-4.
- ^
"Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps"
.
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (SMMC)
. United States Marine Corps.
Archived
from the original on 13 March 2024
. Retrieved
13 March
2024
.
- ^
"Sergeants Major of the Army"
.
army.mil
. Archived from
the original
on 13 February 2015
. Retrieved
31 January
2015
.
- ^
"The end of the Green Service Uniform: 1954-2015"
. 5 May 2016. Archived from
the original
on 5 May 2016.
- ^
Elder, Daniel K. (2003).
The Sergeants Major of the Army
(Revised ed.). Washington, DC:
United States Army Center of Military History
. p. 7.
- ^
Army Regulation 670-1, paras 28-4
b
, 28-9
i
(4), 28-10
b
(32).
- ^
AR 670-1, paras 28-22
d
(1), 28-22
f
(3).
- ^
AR 670-1, para 28-3
b
(3).
- ^
AR 670-1, para 28-3
b
(4).
- ^
Elder, Daniel K. (2003).
The Sergeants Major of the Army
(Revised ed.). Washington, DC: United States Army Center of Military History. p. 40.
- ^
U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry
"Sergeant Major of the Army Flag Page"
. Archived from
the original
on 10 June 2009
. Retrieved
18 November
2013
.
- ^
"Former Sergeants Major of the Army"
. Archived from
the original
on 13 May 2009
. Retrieved
22 September
2007
.
Notes
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
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