1. HISTORY OF THE SERGEANTS MAJOR OF THE ARMY
27 JANUARY 2009
CPL SASHA SWANSON

2. Secretary of the Army Pete Geren, U. S
Secretary of the Army Pete Geren, U.S. Congressman Silvestre Reyes, Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., and Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston announced the Year of the Noncommissioned Officer during a press conference held Jan. 5 at the Sergeants Major Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas.

3. TRAIN!
Today's Soldiers continue to perform magnificently protecting our Nation with boots firmly on the ground around the world. The Nation values the commitment of our exceptional men and women in defending the freedoms we enjoy and defeating the enemies who challenge the values of our society. Our Soldiers and Noncommissioned Officers are the centerpiece of the best equipped, trained, and led Army in history. Our Soldiers are skilled, professional warriors who live our Army Values, embody the Warrior Ethos and define the American patriot. I am honored to serve alongside these great heroes.
-SMA Preston
LEAD!
MENTOR!

4. What is the Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA)?
He/She is the person who holds this rank is the senior enlisted member in the Army. He/She is appointed to serve as a spokesman to address the issues of enlisted Soldiers to the Army’s highest position.

5. What does the Sergeant Major of the Army do on a daily basis?
SMA usually devotes most of his/her time to traveling throughout the army, observing training, and talking to Soldiers and their Families.

6. Who is the current SMA?
Kenneth O Preston is the current Sergeant Major of the Army. He was sworn in as the 13th Sergeant Major of the Army on 14 JAN He has held different leadership roles throughout his career such as Cavalry Scout, Tank Commander, Sergeant Major, and Command Sergeant Major. SMA Preston entered the army in June He attended basic training and AIT at Fort Knox, KY. His most recent assignment was Command Sergeant Major for Combined Joint Task Force 7 serving in Baghdad, Iraq.

7. History of the Rank
1994-Present
Based on those of the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
Marines established it on 23 May 1957
The Army Chief of Staff created the position in 1966, after asking major commands for their opinions
4,700 were proposed candidates for SMA, 21 nominees were selected
Sergeant Major William O. Wooldridge of the 1ST Infantry Division was selected as the first Sergeant Major of the Army.

8. Senior Enlisted Advisors
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (created in 57’)
Sergeant Major of the Army (created in ’66)
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (created in ’67)
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (created in ’67)
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard (created in ’69)
Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staffs (created in 2005)
The role of the Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) has a longstanding tradition of excellence in the U.S. Armed Forces. A major role of the NCO is advisor to the officer. This advisor role is one of honor and great responsibility. It is a tradition other nations admire and strive to replicate in their military services. NCOs are a constant throughout a military member’s career. NCOs are always present – there to ensure the officers and enlisted members they support have the essential training, knowledge and equipment to complete the mission. NCOs are found at every level, from team or section leader to corps and beyond. The job of a senior NCO in any command is to mentor and support their fellow enlisted personnel, and to assist their commander on matters relating to the enlisted service members under their charge. Lesser known to many are those most senior NCOs, referred to as the Senior Enlisted Advisor (SEA).

9. Sergeant Major of the Army Flag
The flag, approved by the Chief of Staff, Army on 22 Mar 99, background is divided diagonally from lower hoist to upper fly with scarlet above white.  Centered on the flag is the insignia for the Sergeant Major of the Army in full color.  The fringe is yellow; the cords and tassels are scarlet and white. Technically, this is not a rank flag put a positional color, e.g. it identifies the office or appointment of the individual. "Sergeant Major of the Army" is not a rank but an appointment.

10. The collar insignia of the SMA is the shield portion of the collar insignia of an aide-de-camp (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 a aide's insignia and enlisted collar brass. The insignia was approved on 4 July 1966.This insignia is also worn in place of a unit insignia on the SMA's beret, garrison cap, and pull-over sweater.

11. PAST AND PRESENT 13 11 12 10 Sergeant Major of the Army
Kenneth O. Preston
January Current
  Sergeant Major of the Army Robert E. Hall
October June 2000
Sergeant Major of the Army Jack L. Tilley
June January 2004
Sergeant Major of the Army Gene C. McKinney
July October 1997

12. 9 7 5 8 6 Sergeant Major of the Army Richard A. Kidd
July June 1995
Sergeant Major of the Army Glen E. Morrell
July July 1987
Sergeant Major of the Army
William G. Bainbridge
July June 1979
Sergeant Major of the Army Julius W. Gates
July June 1991
Sergeant Major of the Army William A. Connelly
July June 1983

13. 2 4 3 1 Sergeant Major of the Army Leon L. Van Autreve
July June 1975
Sergeant Major of the Army George W. Dunaway
September September 1970
Sergeant Major of the Army
Silas L. Copeland
October June 1973
Sergeant Major of the Army William O. Wooldridge
July August 1968

14. The most important mission of the Sergeant Major of the Army is providing direct communication between the Soldier and the Army leadership. SMA Richard A. Kidd

15. The Sergeant Major of the Army’s job is to support and keep the Chief of Staff informed about the enlisted concerns in the Army, and let him know how soldiers are training and living at the canteen-cup level. SMA Julius W. Gates

16. As SMA I wanted to make sure that policies were enforceable by noncommissioned officers in the field. I also wanted to ensure soldiers could live with whatever was recommended. In General John Wickham’s initial guidance to me, he told me to be myself and to “go do the things that needed to be done in the Army.” What a Sergeant Major of the Army does depends on the Chief of Staff. General Wickham listened and we pushed a lot of things through that would not have been accomplished if it hadn’t been for all of us working together. SMA Glen E. Morrell

17. The two responsibilities the “chief,” General Edward Meyer, gave me were to provide open and frank advice and criticism of what I see in the field, and to oversee the continued development of the NCO Corps. Most of the time I’ve seen my role as SMA to be like the slick duck hunter who lays back and waits for the right time to get in a shot. SMA William A. Connelly

18. The intent of the Sergeant Major of the Army is to support existing programs and provide input that may affect the possibility of additional programs. SMA Leon L. Van Autreve

19. The Army will be forever indebted to General Harold K
The Army will be forever indebted to General Harold K. Johnson for establishing the SMA position. There are countless significant improvements that were made and will continue to be made as a result of the influence of the Sergeants Major of the Army. General Johnson was very concerned for the soldiers in his Army, and he left a system in place that will continue to provide for their best interests. SMA George W. Dunaway

20. The Creator
In 1964, General Johnson became the 24th Chief of Staff of the United States Army, having been unexpectedly promoted over several more senior generals. Johnson was the Army's leading tactician, having served as commandant of the Command and General Staff College, and was an outspoken skeptic of deploying troops except as a last resort and accompanied by the total commitment of the civilian leadership.
During his term as Chief of Staff, he was involved in many policy debates regarding the escalation of the Vietnam War. He was a strong proponent of full military mobilization: declare a national emergency, call up the reserves, fight a quick and decisive war, and withdraw. He considered resigning in protest over President Lyndon B. Johnson’s decision not to mobilize the reserves, and at the end of his life expressed regret at not doing so.
As Chief of Staff, one of Johnson's noteworthy accomplishments was creating the office of the Sergeant Major of the Army to improve the quality of life for enlisted personnel.