Russ Promoted to Sergeant Major

Dec. 4, 2009

FLORENCE, Ala. – Ronald Russ, a senior military science instructor in the University of North Alabama Army ROTC program, was promoted to Sergeant Major this week. Russ has a total of 25 years of military service.

In the U.S. Army, Sergeant Major refers to both a military rank and to a specific administrative position. The rank refers to the highest enlisted rank, just above First Sergeant, with a pay grade of E-9. The leadership position, Command Sergeant Major, is the senior enlisted advisor to the commanding officer and carries with it certain ceremonial functions, such as caring for the unit’s flag. Additionally, they serve as monitors of and advocates for the enlisted men and women in the command. This position exists in units of battalion size and larger.

Because the Command Sergeant Major represents all of the enlisted soldiers in the command, he or she does not wear the collar insignia of his or her career specialty but instead wears the Command Sergeant Major collar insignia. The insignia is a gold-color rendering of the coat of arms of the United States. Like the branch of service insignia of all U.S. Army enlisted soldiers, it is placed upon a gold-color metal disk, one inch in diameter.

An alternative usage of Command Sergeant Major is the senior NCO of a headquarters unit at battalion level or above. The soldier filling this position should carry the rank of Sergeant Major, but personnel shortages may, from time to time, force this sergeant major position to be held by a senior First Sergeant or Master Sergeant, both E-8.