Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps

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Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is a unique non-commissioned rank in the United States Marine Corps. The holder of this rank and post is the senior enlisted member of the Marine Corps. This position is currently held by Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps John L. Estrada. Seen at right are the unique chevrons of the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps , the only rank insignia to bear the Marine Corps emblem.

Contents 1 History 2 Sergeants Major of the Marine Corps 3 Notes 4 References 5 External links

[edit] History

Archibald Sommers was the U.S. Marine Corps' first sergeant major, appointed on January 1, 1801. This was originally a solitary post, similar to the modern Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, but by 1899 there were five Sergeants Major. The title was abolished in 1946, but re-introduced as a rank in 1954. The post of Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps was established in 1957, as the senior enlisted advisor to the Commandant of the Marine Corps.^[1]

[edit] Sergeants Major of the Marine Corps

Name	Tenure
Wilbur Bestwick	1957-05-23 – 1959-08-31
Francis D. Rauber	1959-09-01 – 1962-06-28
Thomas J. McHugh	1962-06-29 – 1965-07-16
Herbert J. Sweet	1965-07-17 – 1969-07-31
Joseph W. Dailey	1969-08-01 – 1973-01-31
Clinton A. Puckett	1973-02-01 – 1975-05-31
Henry H. Black	1975-06-01 – 1977-03-31
John R. Massaro	1977-04-01 – 1979-08-15
Leland D. Crawford	1979-08-16 – 1983-06-27
Robert E. Cleary	1983-06-28 – 1987-06-26
David W. Sommers	1987-06-27 – 1991-06-27
Harold G. Overstreet	1991-06-28 – 1995-06-29
Lewis G. Lee	1995-06-30 – 1999-06-28
Alford L. McMichael	1999-06-29 – 2003-06-26
John L. Estrada	2003-06-27 – present

SgtMaj Carlton W. Kent has been named to be the next SMMC, to succeed SgtMaj Estrada upon his retirement in 2007.^[2]

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Marine Corps Legacy Museum.
2. ^ "Kent named next top enlisted Marine", Marine Corps Times, January 23, 2007. Retrieved on March 15, 2007.

[edit] References

• Sergeants Major of the Marine Corps. Marine Corps Legacy Museum. Retrieved on October 4, 2006.

• Sergeants Major of the Marine Corps. History Division, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved on October 14, 2006.

[edit] External links

• SgtMaj of the MC Biographies. United States Marine Corps. Retrieved on October 14, 2006.

U.S. military enlisted ranks
	E-1	E-2	E-3	E-4	E-5	E-6	E-7	E-8	E-9
Air Force:	AB	Amn	A1C	SrA	SSgt	TSgt	MSgt	SMSgt	CMSgt - CCM - CMSAF
Army:	PV1	PV2	PFC	SPC - CPL	SGT	SSG	SFC	MSG - 1SG	SGM - CSM - SMA
Marine Corps:	Pvt	PFC	LCpl	Cpl	Sgt	SSgt	GySgt	MSgt - 1stSgt	MGySgt - SgtMaj - SgtMajMarCor
Navy:	SR	SA	SN	PO3	PO2	PO1	CPO	SCPO	MCPO - CMCPO - MCPON
Coast Guard:	SR	SA	SN	PO3	PO2	PO1	CPO	SCPO	MCPO - CMCPO - MCPOCG