Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

The Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman ( SEAC ) is the highest ranking non-commissioned officer of the US Armed Forces and Chief Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ) on issues that the NCO corps of the armed forces, especially in the area of ​​mixed joint operations . Command Sergeant Major William Joseph Gainey was the first soldier to perform this task from October 1, 2005 to April 25, 2008. After Gainey's retirement, the post was not filled again until 2011.

assignment

In fulfilling its tasks, the SEAC should also serve as a link between the senior enlisted advisors (SEAs for short) of the individual armed forces and the Unified Combatant Commands and the United General Staff. The SEAC also ensures the discourse with the SEAs of the armed forces ( USA , USAF , USMC , USN ) on issues relating to NCOs. To this end, he sets up regular meetings. The SEAC is paid according to level E-9 (NATO: OR-9) and is on an equal footing with the SEAs of the armed forces.

The main task of the SEAC is to advise the chief of staff (chairman) on all questions relating to joint operations, the integration of individual delegations into large groups, their use and development. In addition, he deals with the development of training content for non-commissioned officers who are deployed in senior positions in association staffs.

The SEAC also oversees various areas assigned to it by the Chief of Staff. At the same time he is also the spokesman for the chief of staff for the senior NCOs of the armed forces. On the other hand, the SEAC is also the spokesman for all non-commissioned officers in conferences with the chiefs of staff of the armed forces, civilian representatives or non-commissioned officers from other nations. Although the SEAs of the armed forces and the Unified Combatant Commands are not in front of them in the direct chain of command , it is the direct link between them and the Chief of Staff within the communication chain .

The tasks of the SEAC also include inspecting the armed forces in action and resolving any problems that may be discovered. After such problems have been identified and resolved together with the relevant armed forces, it is also one of his tasks to introduce the solutions to the other armed forces.

Other areas of responsibility

The SEAC travels a lot with many NCOs and others. a. to talk about compound operations. In operational areas it is also his task to identify and influence factors that influence the morale and well-being of the NCOs.

Advising the United General Staff on guidelines and programs that regulate the military training of NCOs who are deployed in leadership positions also falls within his area of ​​responsibility. He is also available to answer questions from the US Congress and deals with members of all levels of government.

The Chief of Staff can also appoint the SEAC to various advisory staffs or committees that deal with aspects such as morality, welfare, recreation, the United Service Organization (USO) or the American Red Cross, in order to deal with the matters of NCOs in large organizations to represent.

List of Senior Enlisted Advisors to the Chairman

No.	Surname	Armed forces	image	Beginning of the appointment	End of appointment
1	Command Sergeant Major William Joseph Gainey	United States		October 1, 2005	April 25, 2008
	vacancy			April 25, 2008	October 1, 2011
2	Sergeant Major Bryan B. Battaglia	USMC		October 1, 2011	December 11, 2015
3	Command Sergeant Major / Senior Enlisted Advisor John W. Troxell	United States		December 11, 2015	December 13, 2019
4th	Senior Enlisted Advisor Cólon Lopez	USAF		December 13, 2019

In December 2019, it was announced that the holder of this particularly prominent NCO rank, which is also associated with an official allowance, would be created a separate rank with its own rank badge, which is based on the official coat of arms of the CJCS. So far there are only badges for army and air force uniform wearers.

Web links

• Description of duties at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Meghann Myers: There's a new rank insignia for the military's top enlisted adviser. In: militarytimes.com. December 12, 2019, accessed February 5, 2020 (American English).