Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps

The sergeant major of the Marine Corps (officially abbreviated to SMMC)<ref name="ALMAR 016/09">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}me</ref><ref>SMMC on TheFreeDictionary.com</ref> 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 (SEAC) of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.Template:Efn

File:USMC-E9-SGMMC (Service).svg

Current service uniform rank insignia of the SMMC.

File:USMC-E9-SGM.svg

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 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref name=HQMC>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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,<ref name=HQMC/> the first such post in any of the five branches of the United States Armed Forces.<ref name="15smmc">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name="15smmc"/> Since Sergeant Major Wilbur Bestwick was appointed the first Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps in 1957, 20 different Marines have filled this post.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

List of sergeants major of the Marine Corps

Template:Abbr	Portrait	Name	Term of office			Template:Abbr
			Took office	Left office	Duration
1	black & white photograph of Wilbur Bestwick	Bestwick Wilbur Bestwick (1911–1972)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2	black & white photograph of Francis D. Rauber	Rauber Francis D. Rauber (1901–1991)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
3	black & white photograph of Thomas J. McHugh	McHugh Thomas J. McHugh (1919–2000)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
4	black & white photograph of Herbert J. Sweet	Sweet Herbert J. Sweet (1919–1998)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
5	black & white photograph of Joseph W. Dailey	Dailey Joseph W. Dailey (1917–2007)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
6	black & white photograph of Clinton A. Puckett	Puckett Clinton A. Puckett (1926–2002)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
7	black & white photograph of Henry H. Black	Black Henry H. Black (1929–2012)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
8	black & white photograph of John R. Massaro	Massaro John R. Massaro (1930–)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
9	black & white photograph of Leland D. Crawford	Crawford Leland D. Crawford (1930–1993)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
10	File:Cleary RE.jpg	Cleary Robert E. Cleary (1931–2018)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
11	black & white photograph of David W. Sommers	Sommers David W. Sommers (1943–)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
12	black & white photograph of Harold G. Overstreet	Overstreet Harold G. Overstreet (1944–)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
13	black & white photograph of Lewis G. Lee	Lee Lewis G. Lee (1950–)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
14	color photograph of Alford L. McMichael	McMichael Alford L. McMichael (1952–)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
15	color photograph of John L. Estrada	Estrada John L. Estrada (1955–)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
16	color photograph of Carlton W. Kent	Kent Carlton W. Kent (1957–)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
17	color photograph of Micheal P. Barrett	Barrett Micheal P. Barrett (1963–)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
18	color photograph of Ronald L. Green	Green Ronald L. Green (1964–)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
19	color photograph of Troy E. Black	Black Troy E. Black (1969-)	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Ayd	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
20	color photograph of Carlos A. Ruiz	Ruiz Carlos A. Ruiz (1975–)	Template:Nowrap	Incumbent	Template:Ayd	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Timeline

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DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:1955 till:{{#expr:{{#time:Y}}+4}} TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:10 start:1960

Define $now = 2026

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bar:mchugh
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bar:cleary
bar:sommers
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PlotData=

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bar:bestwick    from: 1957 till: 1959 color:smmc text:Bestwick
bar:rauber      from: 1959 till: 1962 color:smmc text:Rauber
bar:mchugh      from: 1962 till: 1965 color:smmc text:McHugh
bar:sweet       from: 1965 till: 1969 color:smmc text:Sweet
bar:dailey      from: 1969 till: 1973 color:smmc text:Dailey
bar:puckett     from: 1973 till: 1975 color:smmc text:Puckett
bar:black       from: 1975 till: 1977 color:smmc text:Black
bar:massaro     from: 1977 till: 1979 color:smmc text:Massaro
bar:crawford    from: 1979 till: 1983 color:smmc text:Crawford
bar:cleary      from: 1983 till: 1987 color:smmc text:Cleary
bar:sommers     from: 1987 till: 1991 color:smmc text:Sommers
bar:overstreet  from: 1991 till: 1995 color:smmc text:Overstreet
bar:lee         from: 1995 till: 1999 color:smmc text:Lee
bar:mcmichael   from: 1999 till: 2003 color:smmc text:McMichael
bar:estrada     from: 2003 till: 2007 color:smmc text:Estrada
bar:kent        from: 2007 till: 2011 color:smmc text:Kent
bar:barrett     from: 2011 till: 2015 color:smmc text:Barrett
bar:green       from: 2015 till: 2019 color:smmc text:Green
bar:troyblack   from: 2019 till: 2023 color:smmc text:Black
bar:ruiz        from: 2023 till: $now color:smmc text:Ruiz

</timeline>

See also

• Sergeant Major of the Army
• Command Sergeant Major of the US Army Reserve
• Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
• Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
• Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force
• Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard
• Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Reserve Force
• Senior Enlisted Advisor for the National Guard Bureau
• Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

References

General

• {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

Specific

External links

• Template:Commons category-inline

Pay grade Branch of service	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap	Template:Nowrap
Army File:Flag of the United States Army.svg	Private PVT	Private 2 PV2	Private first class PFC	Template:Nowrap SPC – CPL	Sergeant SGT	Staff Sergeant SSG	Sergeant first class SFC	Template:Nowrap MSG – 1SG¹	Template:Nowrap SGM – CSM	Template:Nowrap SEANGB – SMA – SEAC
Marine Corps File:Flag of the United States Marine Corps.svg	Private Pvt	Private first class PFC	Lance Corporal LCpl	Corporal Cpl	Sergeant Sgt	Staff Sergeant SSgt	Gunnery Sergeant GySgt	Template:Nowrap MSgt – 1stSgt¹	Template:Nowrap MGySgt – SgtMaj	Template:Nowrap SMMC – SEAC
Navy File:Flag of the United States Navy (official).svg	Seaman recruit SR	Seaman apprentice SA	Seaman SN	Petty Officer Third Class PO3	Petty Officer Second Class PO2	Petty Officer first class PO1	File:BMC GC.svg CPO	Senior Chief Petty Officer Command Senior Chief Petty Officer SCPO – CMDCS	Template:Nowrap MCPO – CMDCM – FORCM, FLTCM	Template:Nowrap MCPON – SEAC
Air Force File:Flag of the United States Air Force.svg	Airman basic AB	Airman Amn	Airman first class A1C	Senior Airman SrA	Staff Sergeant SSgt	Technical sergeant TSgt	Template:Nowrap MSgt – 1st Sgt¹	Template:Nowrap SMSgt – 1st Sgt¹	Template:Nowrap CMSgt – 1st Sgt¹ – CCM	Senior Enlisted Advisor for the National Guard Bureau Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman SEANGB – CMSAF – SEAC
Space Force File:Flag of the United States Space Force.svg	Specialist 1 Spc1	Specialist 2 Spc2	Specialist 3 Spc3	Specialist 4 Spc4	Sergeant Sgt	Technical sergeant TSgt	Master sergeant MSgt	Senior master sergeant SMSgt	Template:Nowrap CMSgt	Template:Nowrap CMSSF – SEAC
Coast Guard File:Flag of the United States Coast Guard.svg	Seaman Recruit SR	border SA	border SN	Petty Officer Third Class PO3	Petty Officer Second Class PO2	Petty Officer first class PO1	Chief Petty Officer CPO	Senior Chief Petty Officer SCPO	Template:Nowrap MCPO – CMC – DMCPOCG2	Template:Nowrap MCPOCG
For the Army and Air Force, first sergeants are temporary and lateral ranks and are senior to their non-diamond counterparts, while Marine Corps first sergeants have no lateral movement within paygrade and is a permanent rank. The rank insignia is used by other Coast Guard senior enlisted leaders.