Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps explained

Post:Sergeant Major
Body:the Marine Corps
Insignia:USMC-E9-SGMMC.svg
Insigniasize:100
Insigniacaption:Dress uniform insignia of the SMMC
Incumbent:SMMC Carlos A. Ruiz
Incumbentsince:August 10, 2023
Abbreviation:SMMC
Reports To:Commandant of the Marine Corps
Seat:Headquarters Marine Corps
Appointer:Commandant of the Marine Corps
Termlength:4 years
Formation:May 23, 1957
First:Wilbur Bestwick
Unofficial Names:Sergeant Major
Salary:$9,786.00 per month, regardless of the incumbent's service longevity[1]

The sergeant major of the Marine Corps (officially abbreviated to SMMC)[2] [3] is a billet, as well as a unique enlisted grade of rank, and is designated a special paygrade above E-9. The position also has a unique non-commissioned grade of rank insignia, in the United States Marine Corps. 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, which is the case as of November 3, 2023.

History

In the U.S. Marine Corps, sergeant major is the ninth and highest enlisted rank, just above first sergeant, 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 of a lieutenant general.[4]

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.[5]

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,[5] the first such post in any of the five branches of the United States Armed Forces.[6] 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. While "Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps" is the full wording of the rank, the verbal address for this is common Sergeant Major.

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.[6] Since Sergeant Major Wilbur Bestwick was appointed the first Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps in 1957, 20 different Marines have filled this post.[7]

List of sergeants major of the Marine Corps

PortraitNameTerm of office
Took officeLeft officeDuration
1Bestwick Wilbur Bestwick(1911–1972)[8]
2Rauber Francis D. Rauber(1901–1991)[9]
3McHugh Thomas J. McHugh(1919–2000)[10]
4Sweet Herbert J. Sweet(1919–1998)[11]
5Dailey Joseph W. Dailey(1917–2007)[12]
6Puckett Clinton A. Puckett(1926–2002)[13]
7Black Henry H. Black(1929–2012)[14]
8Massaro John R. Massaro(1930–)[15]
9Crawford Leland D. Crawford(1930–1993)[16]
10Cleary Robert E. Cleary(1931–2018)[17]
11Sommers David W. Sommers(1943–)[18]
12Overstreet Harold G. Overstreet(1944–)[19]
13Lee Lewis G. Lee(1950–)[20]
14McMichael Alford L. McMichael(1952–)[21]
15Estrada John L. Estrada(1955–)[22]
16Kent Carlton W. Kent(1957–)[23]
17Barrett Micheal P. Barrett(1963–)[24]
18Green Ronald L. Green(1964–)[25]
19Black Troy E. Black(1968/1969-)[26]
20Ruiz Carlos A. Ruiz(1975–)Incumbent[27]

Timeline

See also

References

General
Specific

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Defense Finance and Accounting Service > MilitaryMembers > payentitlements > Pay Tables > Basic Pay > EM.
  2. Web site: ALMAR 016/09: 2009 Sergeants Major Symposium . 2009-05-13 . . 22 December 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130224031416/http://www.marines.mil/News/Messages/MessagesDisplay/tabid/13286/Article/109552/2009-sergeants-major-symposium.aspx . 24 February 2013 .
  3. http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/SMMC SMMC
  4. Web site: Order of Precedence – OPNAVINST 1710.7J (NOTES: 7) . 2010-12-26 . 2020-02-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200227203223/https://www.jmarprotocol.com/helpfiles/Navy%20precedence%20list.pdf . dead .
  5. Web site: Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. hqmc.marines.mil. 2013-07-06.
  6. Web site: Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. https://web.archive.org/web/20190608065429/http://www.15smmc.com/history.php. dead. 2019-06-08. Estrada. John L.. John L. Estrada. 15smmc.com. 2009-06-22.
  7. Web site: Previous SMMC . hqmc.marines.mil . 2013-07-06.
  8. Web site: Sergeant Major Wilbur Bestwick, USMC (Deceased). Who's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. 2009-06-22. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110615092718/http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/Bestwick_W.htm. 2011-06-15.
  9. Web site: Sergeant Major Francis Drury Rauber, USMC (Deceased). Who's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. 2009-06-22. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110615092952/http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/Rauber_FD.htm. 2011-06-15.
  10. Web site: Sergeant Major Thomas J. McHugh, USMC (Deceased). Who's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. 2009-06-22. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110516222440/http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/McHugh_TJ.htm. 2011-05-16.
  11. Web site: Sergeant Major Herbert J. Sweet, USMC (Deceased). Who's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. 2009-06-22. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110615093004/http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/Sweet_HJ.htm. 2011-06-15.
  12. Web site: Sergeant Major Joseph W. Dailey, USMC (Deceased). Who's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. 2009-06-22. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110516225001/http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/Dailey_JW.htm. 2011-05-16.
  13. Web site: Sergeant Major Clinton A. Puckett, USMC (Deceased). Who's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. 2009-06-22. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110615093040/http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/Puckett_CA.htm. 2011-06-15.
  14. Web site: Sergeant Major Henry H. Black, USMC (Retired). Who's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. 2009-06-22. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110615093158/http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/Black_HH.htm. 2011-06-15.
  15. Web site: Sergeant Major John R. Massaro, USMC (Retired). Who's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. 2009-06-22. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110516223959/http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/Massaro_JR.htm. 2011-05-16.
  16. Web site: Sergeant Major Leland D. Crawford, USMC (Deceased). Who's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. 2009-06-22. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110615093210/http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/Crawford_LD.htm. 2011-06-15.
  17. Web site: Sergeant Major Robert E. Cleary, USMC (Retired). Who's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. 2009-06-22. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20101215112459/http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/Cleary_RE.htm. 2010-12-15.
  18. Web site: Sergeant Major David W. Sommers, USMC (Retired). Who's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. 2009-06-22. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110615093351/http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/Sommers_DW.htm. 2011-06-15.
  19. Web site: Sergeant Major Harold G. Overstreet, USMC (Retired). Who's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. 2009-06-22. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110615093428/http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/Overstreet_HG.htm. 2011-06-15.
  20. Web site: Sergeant Major Lewis G. Lee, USMC (Retired). Who's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. 2009-06-22. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110516222432/http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/Lee_LG.htm. 2011-05-16.
  21. Web site: Sergeant Major Alford L. McMichael, USMC (Retired) . Who's Who in Marine Corps History . Marine Corps Historical Division . 2009-06-22 . dead . https://archive.today/20110722213759/http://tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/McMichael_AL.htm . 2011-07-22 .
  22. Web site: Sergeant Major John L. Estrada, USMC (Retired). Who's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. 2009-06-22. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20101214083115/http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/Estrada%20JL.htm. 2010-12-14.
  23. Web site: Sergeant Major Carlton W. Kent, USMC. Who's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. 2009-06-22. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110615093515/http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Whos_Who/Kent_CW.htm. 2011-06-15.
  24. Web site: Sergeant Major Michael P. Barrett, USMC. Who's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. 2015-02-21.
  25. Web site: Sergeant Major Ronald L. Green, USMC. Who's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. 2015-02-21. 2019-07-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20190728173053/https://dod.defense.gov/About/Biographies/Biography-View/Article/602707/sergeant-major-ronald-l-green/. dead.
  26. Web site: Sergeant Major Troy E. Black, USMC. Marines.Mil. United States Marine Corps. 2019-07-28.
  27. Web site: Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Relief and Appointment Ceremony. 2023-08-05. DVIDS.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.