Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps

The sergeant major of the Marine Corps (officially abbreviated to SMMC) is a billet that is distinguished by a unique rank insignia but remains within the E-9 pay grade. The holder of this rank and position is the most senior enlisted marine in the Marine Corps, unless an enlisted marine is serving as the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman (SEAC) of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

thumb|upright|Current service uniform rank insignia of the SMMC.

thumb|upright|Rank insignia of the SMMC from 1957 to 1970; became the rank insignia for a sergeant major afterwards.

In the U.S. Marine Corps, sergeant major is the ninth and one of two ranks that are the highest enlisted ranks, just above first sergeant and master sergeant (both E-8 pay grade), and equal in grade to master gunnery sergeant, although the two have different responsibilities. A sergeant major typically serves as the unit commander's senior enlisted adviser and handles matters of discipline and morale among the enlisted Marines. The sergeant major of the Marine Corps is chosen by the commandant of the Marine Corps to serve as his adviser and is the preeminent and highest-ranking enlisted Marine unless an enlisted marine is serving as the senior enlisted advisor to the Chairman. The SMMC holds an order of precedence equivalent to a lieutenant general.

Although not officially considered a sergeant major of the Marine Corps, when Archibald Sommers was appointed to sergeant major on January 1, 1801, it was a solitary post, similar to the modern billet of sergeant major of the Marine Corps. In 1833, an act of legislation made the rank of sergeant major permanent for the Marine Corps, and by 1899 five Marines held the rank of sergeant major. This continued until 1946, when the rank was abolished, only to be re-introduced in 1954 as part of the Marine Corps rank structure.

The post of sergeant major of the Marine Corps was established in 1957 from the order of assistant chief of staff for personnel at Headquarters Marine Corps, Brigadier General James P. Berkeley, as the senior enlisted advisor to the commandant of the Marine Corps, In 1970, the rank insignia of the sergeant major of the Marine Corps was authorized (which features three stripes, the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor flanked by two five-point stars in the center, and four rockers) as opposed to the standard Sergeant Major rank insignia (which features three stripes, one five-point star in the center, and four rockers), which was used for the rank from the post's creation in 1957 to 1970. The verbal address for the rank is generally "sergeant major", though "sergeant major of the Marine Corps" is utilized in formal situations.

The commandant of the Marine Corps selects the sergeant major of the Marine Corps and typically serves a four-year term, though his service is at the discretion of the Commandant.

List of sergeants major of the Marine Corps

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan=2|

! class="unsortable" rowspan=2| Portrait

! rowspan=2| Name

! colspan=3| Term of office

! class="unsortable" rowspan=2|

! Took office

! Left office

! Duration

| 1

|100px|alt=black & white photograph of Wilbur Bestwick

| Bestwick Wilbur Bestwick

(1911–1972)

| 2

|100px|alt=black & white photograph of Francis D. Rauber

| Rauber Francis D. Rauber

(1901–1991)

| 3

|100px|alt=black & white photograph of Thomas J. McHugh

| McHugh Thomas J. McHugh

(1919–2000)

| 4

|100px|alt=black & white photograph of Herbert J. Sweet

| Sweet Herbert J. Sweet

(1919–1998)

| 5

|100px|alt=black & white photograph of Joseph W. Dailey

| Dailey Joseph W. Dailey

(1917–2007)

| 6

|100px|alt=black & white photograph of Clinton A. Puckett

| Puckett Clinton A. Puckett

(1926–2002)

| 7

|100px|alt=black & white photograph of Henry H. Black

| Black Henry H. Black

(1929–2012)

| 8

|100px|alt=black & white photograph of John R. Massaro

| Massaro John R. Massaro

(1930–)

| 9

|100px|alt=black & white photograph of Leland D. Crawford

| Crawford Leland D. Crawford

(1930–1993)

| 10

|100px

| Cleary Robert E. Cleary

(1931–2018)

| 11

|100px|alt=black & white photograph of David W. Sommers

| Sommers David W. Sommers

(1943–)

| 12

|100px|alt=black & white photograph of Harold G. Overstreet

| Overstreet Harold G. Overstreet

(1944–)

| 13

|100px|alt=black & white photograph of Lewis G. Lee

| Lee Lewis G. Lee

(1950–)

| 14

|100px|alt=color photograph of Alford L. McMichael

| McMichael Alford L. McMichael

(1952–)

| 15

|100px|alt=color photograph of John L. Estrada

| Estrada John L. Estrada

(1955–)

| 16

|100px|alt=color photograph of Carlton W. Kent

| Kent Carlton W. Kent

(1957–)

| 17

|100px|alt=color photograph of Micheal P. Barrett

| Barrett Micheal P. Barrett

(1963–)

| 18

||100px|alt=color photograph of Ronald L. Green

| Green Ronald L. Green

(1964–)

| 19

||100px|alt=color photograph of Troy E. Black

| Black Troy E. Black

(1969-)

| 20

||100px|alt=color photograph of Carlos A. Ruiz

| Ruiz Carlos A. Ruiz

(1975–)

|Incumbent

Timeline

End notes

References

;General

;Specific

Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps

List of sergeants major of the Marine Corps

Timeline

See also

End notes

References

External links