Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps

For the Royal Marines equivalent, see Corps Regimental Sergeant Major.

The sergeant major of the Marine Corps (officially abbreviated to SMMC)^[2][3] 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.^[a]

Current service uniform rank insignia of the SMMC.

Rank insignia of the SMMC from 1957 to 1970; became the rank insignia for a sergeant major afterwards.

Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
Dress uniform insignia of the SMMC
Incumbent SMMC Carlos A. Ruiz since August 10, 2023
United States Marine Corps
Abbreviation	SMMC
Reports to	Commandant of the Marine Corps
Seat	Headquarters Marine Corps
Appointer	Commandant of the Marine Corps
Term length	4 years
Formation	May 23, 1957
First holder	Wilbur Bestwick
Unofficial names	Sergeant Major
Salary	$10,758.00 per month, regardless of the incumbent's service longevity [1]
Website	www.hqmc.marines.mil/smmc

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.^[6]

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.^[7]

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,^[7] the first such post in any of the five branches of the United States Armed Forces.^[8] 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.^[8] Since Sergeant Major Wilbur Bestwick was appointed the first Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps in 1957, 20 different Marines have filled this post.^[9]

List of sergeants major of the Marine Corps

No.	Portrait	Name	Term of office			Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Duration
1		Bestwick Wilbur Bestwick (1911–1972)	May 23, 1957	September 1, 1959	2 years, 101 days	[10]
2		Rauber Francis D. Rauber (1901–1991)	September 1, 1959	June 29, 1962	2 years, 301 days	[11]
3		McHugh Thomas J. McHugh (1919–2000)	June 29, 1962	July 17, 1965	3 years, 18 days	[12]
4		Sweet Herbert J. Sweet (1919–1998)	July 17, 1965	August 1, 1969	4 years, 15 days	[13]
5		Dailey Joseph W. Dailey (1917–2007)	August 1, 1969	February 1, 1973	3 years, 184 days	[14]
6		Puckett Clinton A. Puckett (1926–2002)	February 1, 1973	June 1, 1975	2 years, 120 days	[15]
7		Black Henry H. Black (1929–2012)	June 1, 1975	April 1, 1977	1 year, 304 days	[16]
8		Massaro John R. Massaro (1930–)	April 1, 1977	August 16, 1979	2 years, 137 days	[17]
9		Crawford Leland D. Crawford (1930–1993)	August 16, 1979	June 28, 1983	3 years, 316 days	[18]
10		Cleary Robert E. Cleary (1931–2018)	June 28, 1983	June 27, 1987	3 years, 364 days	[19]
11		Sommers David W. Sommers (1943–)	June 27, 1987	June 28, 1991	4 years, 1 day	[20]
12		Overstreet Harold G. Overstreet (1944–)	June 28, 1991	June 30, 1995	4 years, 2 days	[21]
13		Lee Lewis G. Lee (1950–)	June 30, 1995	June 29, 1999	3 years, 364 days	[22]
14		McMichael Alford L. McMichael (1952–)	June 29, 1999	June 26, 2003	3 years, 362 days	[23]
15		Estrada John L. Estrada (1955–)	June 26, 2003	April 25, 2007	3 years, 303 days	[24]
16		Kent Carlton W. Kent (1957–)	April 25, 2007	June 9, 2011	4 years, 45 days	[25]
17		Barrett Micheal P. Barrett (1963–)	June 9, 2011	February 20, 2015	3 years, 256 days	[26]
18		Green Ronald L. Green (1964–)	February 20, 2015	July 26, 2019	4 years, 156 days	[27]
19		Black Troy E. Black (1968/1969-)	July 26, 2019	August 10, 2023	4 years, 15 days	[28]
20		Ruiz Carlos A. Ruiz (1975–)	August 10, 2023	Incumbent	1 year, 358 days	[29]

Timeline

See also

• Sergeant Major of the Army
• 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
• Senior Enlisted Advisor for the National Guard Bureau
• Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

End notes

1. Troy E. Black, the 19th SMMC, was the most recent marine to serve as SEAC, serving in the role from 3 November 2023 to 20 June 2025.^[4][5]