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Command sergeant major

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Command sergeant major
Army insignia
Country United States
Service branch United States Army
AbbreviationCSM
Rank groupNon-commissioned officer
NATO rank codeOR-9
Pay gradeE-9
Formation1967
Next higher rankSergeant Major of the Army
Next lower rankSergeant major

A command sergeant major (CSM) is a non-commissioned rank and position of office in the United States Army. The holder of this rank and position is the most senior enlisted member of a color-bearing Army unit (battalion or higher). The CSM is appointed to serve as a spokesman to address the issues of all soldiers, from enlisted to officers, from warrant officers and lieutenants to the Army's highest positions. As such, they are the senior enlisted advisor to the commander. The exact duties vary depending on the unit commander, including observing training and talking with soldiers and their families.

History

Command Sgt. Maj. Michael A. Crosby, left, bears the colors of Army Futures Command, as General Mark Milley, 23rd Secretary of the Army Mark Esper, and General John M. Murray unfurl the colors on 24 August 2018, in Austin, Texas

The duties of a sergeant major have been defined in the U.S. Army since the days of von Steuben (1779). The need for a senior enlisted advisor to a commander was recognized in the Vietnam War era (December 1966).[1]

The command sergeant major, as the most senior sergeant of a color-bearing unit and advisor to the unit commander, began in July 1967, under Army chief of staff Gen. Harold K. Johnson[2] who created the Command Sergeants Major Program.

Command sergeants major were originally thought of as someone who would advocate for enlisted soldiers, focusing on "problems affecting enlisted personnel and their solutions."[3] After much debate, the Army published a definitive doctrine on the CSM's duties in Field Manual 22-600-20, The Duties, Responsibilities, and Authority of NCO’s (1980).[3]

Current CSM duties are defined in TC 7-22.7, The Noncommissioned Officer Guide and fall into six categories: readiness, training, leadership, communications, operations and program management.[2]

CSMs are selected for assignment only after training as top enlisted leaders.[1][4][5]

Insignia

  • CSM insignia timeline
  • 1966–1968, the only authorized insignia for all sergeants major [6]
    1966–1968, the only authorized insignia for all sergeants major [6]
  • 1968–1979, became command sergeant major
    1968–1979, became command sergeant major

See also

References

  1. ^ a b CSM-Retired Daniel K. Elder (2 Jan 1998, revised 26 Oct 2008) The History of the Sergeant Major Fort Bliss, Texas
  2. ^ a b "At the Point of Friction". Army University Press. Archived from the original on 2025-08-07. Retrieved 2025-11-30.
  3. ^ a b Elder, Daniel (2020-05-16). "History of the Sergeant Major". NCO Historical Society. Retrieved 2025-11-30.
  4. ^ CSM-Retired Daniel K. Elder (2 Jan 1998, revised 26 Oct 2008) The History of the Sergeant Major Fort Bliss, Texas, (page 5, lines 17-20)
  5. ^ Mages, Robert M. (2013). "The Sergeants Major of the Army (CMH Pub 70–63–1)" (PDF) (3rd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Center for Military History (page 14, lines 4–7)
  6. ^ Mages, Robert M. (2013). "The Sergeants Major of the Army (CMH Pub 70–63–1)" (PDF) (3rd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Center for Military History. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 19, 2015.
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