Alford L. McMichael
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| Alford L. McMichael | |
|---|---|
  14th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps 1st Senior NCO of the NATO ACO |
|
| Place of birth | Hot Springs, Arkansas |
| Allegiance | USMC |
| Years of service | 1970-2006 |
| Rank | Sergeant Major |
| Commands | Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Senior Non-Commissioned Officer for Allied Command Operations (NATO) |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit |
| Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps | |
|---|---|
| 1999-2003 | |
 14th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps |
| Senior Noncommissioned Officer North Atlantic Treaty Organization |
|
|---|---|
| 2003-2006 | |
 1st Senior Nonommissioned Officer of Allied Command Operations |
Sergeant Major Alford L. McMichael, USMC, was the 14th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (1999-2003), and was the 1st Senior Non-Commissioned Officer for Allied Command Operations for NATO (2003-2006). SgtMaj. McMichael retired from the Marine Corps in 2006 after 36 years of service.[1]
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[edit] Biography
McMichael was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas and graduated from Hot Springs High School, which includes Bill Clinton amongst its graduates. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on 27 August 1970, and attended boot camp at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California.
In June 1971, after completing Infantry Training School and Basic Infantry Training at Camp Pendleton, California, McMichael was assigned to Marine Barracks, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In May 1973, he was transferred to 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton.
In December 1973, he returned to Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego where he served as a drill instructor, series gunnery sergeant, and battalion drill master. In December 1975, he was transferred to 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton.
In January 1978, McMichael transferred to the 3rd Marine Division where he served as a shore party chief with the 3rd Division Support Group.
In January 1979, he received orders to Marine Security Guard School and, upon completion of the training, was assigned to the American Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark. In May 1981, he returned to Quantico, Virginia to serve as an instructor for the Marine Security Guard School.
In May 1983, Sergeant Major McMichael was assigned to the University of Minnesota where he served as the Assistant Marine Officer Instructor for the NROTC Program.
In December 1984, after completing the Staff Noncommissioned Officers Academy Advanced Course, Sergeant Major McMichael was transferred to Okinawa, Japan to serve as the first sergeant of Company C, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion. In January 1986, he was ordered to Marine Barracks, Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, to serve as the barracks' first sergeant.
McMichael served as the director of the Staff Noncommissioned Officers Academy, Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California from May 1989 to May 1991 after having served as the school's deputy director since August 1988.
In May 1991, McMichael was transferred to Quantico, Virginia where he served as the Sergeant Major of Officer Candidates School.
In June 1994, he returned to Okinawa, Japan where he served as the Sergeant Major of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit until July 1995 when he was reassigned as the Sergeant Major of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.
From January 1997 to June 1999, McMichael served as the Sergeant Major for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Division, Headquarters, U. S. Marine Corps.
He assumed his post as the 14th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps on 1 July 1999. His tenure as the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps saw the establishment of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program and the commencement of the Global War on Terrorism. He was the first African-American Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps.
In June 2003, deferring his planned retirement, [2] McMichael assumed a newly-created post as the Senior Non-Commissioned Officer for Allied Command Operations, becoming the senior enlisted advisor to General James L. Jones, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe; and Commander, United States European Command.[3] He and General Jones previously served together as the 32nd Commandant and 14th Sergeant Major of the United States Marine Corps.
McMichael served as SgtMaj from June 2003 until July 17, 2006, when he was succeeded by U.S. Army Command SgtMaj Michael Bartelle.[4]
[edit] Decorations and honors
Sergeant Major McMichael's personal decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal with gold star, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with gold star, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with gold star.
In 2003, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America citing that "the Sergeant Major [had] come a long way from segregated Hot Springs, where the Club was the only colorblind place to play," named McMichael to its "Alumni Hall of Fame." McMichael commented, "The Club gave me those things I use today in the Marine Corps . . . You made a difference in one child’s life." McMichael credits the Club, which he joined at age 9, with giving him a vision of what the world should and could be.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Tribute to Sergeant Major Alford L. McMichael. Congressional Record. United States Senate (March 28, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
- ^ Sandra Jontz (March 27, 2003]). Marines' top enlisted man tosses out retirement plans, takes NATO job. Stars and Stripes. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
- ^ US Marine Corps Sergeant Major McMichael Appointed First ACO Senior Non-Commissioned Officer. SHAPE News. NATO (25 September 2003). Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
- ^ Jaime L. Wood (July 19, 2006). NATO new top enlisted named. U.S. European Command. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Staff Sgt. Mellissa M. Novakovich (U.S. Army) (29 November 2004). Top enlisted member blazing a trail for future NATO NCOs. SHAPE News. NATO. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
| Preceded by Lewis G. Lee |
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps 1999—2003 |
Succeeded by John L. Estrada |
| Preceded by None |
Senior NCO of Allied Command Operations 2003—2006 |
Succeeded by CSM Michael Bartelle, US Army |
