Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps - wikipedia Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps For the Royal Marines equivalent, see Corps Regimental Sergeant Major. Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Incumbent SMMC Ronald L. Green since February 20, 2015 Formation May 23, 1957 First holder Wilbur Bestwick Website http://www.hqmc.marines.mil/smmc Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps ( officially abbreviated to SMMC ) is a billet, as well as a unique enlisted grade of rank, with a unique non-commissioned grade of rank insignia, in the United States Marine Corps. Contents 1 History 2 Sergeants Major of the Marine Corps 2.1 Timeline 3 See also 4 References 5 External links History Rank insignia of the SMMC from 1957 to 1970, became the rank insignia for a sergeant major afterwards. 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 to handle 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 with an order of precedence of a lieutenant general. Although not officially considered a Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, when Archibald Sommers was appointed to the grade of Sergeant Major 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. 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, the first such post in any of the five branches of the United States Armed Forces. 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 commonly Sergeant Major. The Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is selected by the Commandant of the Marine Corps and typically serves a four - year term, though his service is at the discretion of the Commandant. Since Sergeant Major Wilbur Bestwick was appointed the first Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps in 1957, 17 different Marines have filled this post. On January 20, 2015, Commandant Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. announced that Sergeant Major Ronald L. Green would relieve Sergeant Major Micheal P. Barrett and serve as the 18th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps on February 20, 2015. Sergeants Major of the Marine Corps # Picture Name Tenure from Tenure to Bestwick Wilbur Bestwick 000000001957 - 05 - 23 - 0000 May 23, 1957 000000001959 - 09 - 01 - 0000 September 1, 1959 Rauber Francis D. Rauber 000000001959 - 09 - 01 - 0000 September 1, 1959 000000001962 - 06 - 29 - 0000 June 29, 1962 McHugh Thomas J. McHugh 000000001962 - 06 - 29 - 0000 June 29, 1962 000000001965 - 07 - 17 - 0000 July 17, 1965 Sweet Herbert J. Sweet 000000001965 - 07 - 17 - 0000 July 17, 1965 000000001969 - 08 - 01 - 0000 August 1, 1969 5 Dailey Joseph W. Dailey 000000001969 - 08 - 01 - 0000 August 1, 1969 000000001973 - 02 - 01 - 0000 February 1, 1973 6 Puckett Clinton A. Puckett 000000001973 - 02 - 01 - 0000 February 1, 1973 000000001975 - 06 - 01 - 0000 June 1, 1975 7 Black Henry H. Black 000000001975 - 06 - 01 - 0000 June 1, 1975 000000001977 - 04 - 01 - 0000 April 1, 1977 8 Massaro John R. Massaro 000000001977 - 04 - 01 - 0000 April 1, 1977 000000001979 - 08 - 16 - 0000 August 16, 1979 9 Crawford Leland D. Crawford 000000001979 - 08 - 16 - 0000 August 16, 1979 000000001983 - 06 - 28 - 0000 June 28, 1983 10 Cleary Robert E. Cleary 000000001983 - 06 - 28 - 0000 June 28, 1983 000000001987 - 06 - 27 - 0000 June 27, 1987 11 Sommers David W. Sommers 000000001987 - 06 - 27 - 0000 June 27, 1987 000000001991 - 06 - 28 - 0000 June 28, 1991 12 Overstreet Harold G. Overstreet 000000001991 - 06 - 28 - 0000 June 28, 1991 000000001995 - 06 - 30 - 0000 June 30, 1995 13 Lee Lewis G. Lee 000000001995 - 06 - 30 - 0000 June 30, 1995 000000001999 - 06 - 29 - 0000 June 29, 1999 14 McMichael Alford L. McMichael 000000001999 - 06 - 29 - 0000 June 29, 1999 000000002003 - 06 - 26 - 0000 June 26, 2003 15 Estrada John L. Estrada 000000002003 - 06 - 26 - 0000 June 26, 2003 000000002007 - 04 - 25 - 0000 April 25, 2007 16 Kent Carlton W. Kent 000000002007 - 04 - 25 - 0000 April 25, 2007 000000002011 - 06 - 09 - 0000 June 9, 2011 17 Barrett Micheal P. Barrett 000000002011 - 06 - 09 - 0000 June 9, 2011 000000002015 - 02 - 20 - 0000 February 20, 2015 18 Green Ronald L. Green 000000002015 - 02 - 20 - 0000 February 20, 2015 Incumbent Timeline See also United States Marine Corps portal Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Senior Enlisted Advisor for the National Guard Bureau Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Sergeant Major of the Army References General `` The Official Web Site of the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps ''. United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 2014 - 07 - 19. Specific Jump up ^ `` ALMAR 016 / 09 : 2009 Sergeants Major Symposium ''. United States Marine Corps. 2009 - 05 - 13. Archived from the original on 24 February 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2009. Jump up ^ SMMC on TheFreeDictionary.com Jump up ^ Order of Precedence -- OPNAVINST 1710.7 J ( NOTES : 7 ) ^ Jump up to : `` Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps ''. hqmc.marines.mil. Retrieved 2013 - 07 - 06. ^ Jump up to : Estrada, John L. `` Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps ''. 15smmc.com. Retrieved 2009 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Previous SMMC ''. hqmc.marines.mil. Retrieved 2013 - 07 - 06. Jump up ^ `` NEXT SERGEANT MAJOR OF THE MARINE CORPS ANNOUNCED ''. January 20, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Sergeant Major Wilbur Bestwick, USMC ( Deceased ) ''. Who 's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. Archived from the original on 2011 - 06 - 15. Retrieved 2009 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Sergeant Major Francis Drury Rauber, USMC ( Deceased ) ''. Who 's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. Archived from the original on 2011 - 06 - 15. Retrieved 2009 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Sergeant Major Thomas J. McHugh, USMC ( Deceased ) ''. Who 's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. Archived from the original on 2011 - 05 - 16. Retrieved 2009 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Sergeant Major Herbert J. Sweet, USMC ( Deceased ) ''. Who 's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. Archived from the original on 2011 - 06 - 15. Retrieved 2009 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Sergeant Major Joseph W. Dailey, USMC ( Deceased ) ''. Who 's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. Archived from the original on 2011 - 05 - 16. Retrieved 2009 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Sergeant Major Clinton A. Puckett, USMC ( Deceased ) ''. Who 's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. Archived from the original on 2011 - 06 - 15. Retrieved 2009 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Sergeant Major Henry H. Black, USMC ( Retired ) ''. Who 's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. Archived from the original on 2011 - 06 - 15. Retrieved 2009 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Sergeant Major John R. Massaro, USMC ( Retired ) ''. Who 's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. Archived from the original on 2011 - 05 - 16. Retrieved 2009 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Sergeant Major Leland D. Crawford, USMC ( Deceased ) ''. Who 's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. Archived from the original on 2011 - 06 - 15. Retrieved 2009 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Sergeant Major Robert E. Cleary, USMC ( Retired ) ''. Who 's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. Archived from the original on 2010 - 12 - 15. Retrieved 2009 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Sergeant Major David W. Sommers, USMC ( Retired ) ''. Who 's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. Archived from the original on 2011 - 06 - 15. Retrieved 2009 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Sergeant Major Harold G. Overstreet, USMC ( Retired ) ''. Who 's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. Archived from the original on 2011 - 06 - 15. Retrieved 2009 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Sergeant Major Lewis G. Lee, USMC ( Retired ) ''. Who 's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. Archived from the original on 2011 - 05 - 16. Retrieved 2009 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Sergeant Major Alford L. McMichael, USMC ( Retired ) ''. Who 's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. Archived from the original on 2011 - 07 - 22. Retrieved 2009 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Sergeant Major John L. Estrada, USMC ( Retired ) ''. Who 's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. Archived from the original on 2010 - 12 - 14. Retrieved 2009 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Sergeant Major Carlton W. Kent, USMC ''. Who 's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. Archived from the original on 2011 - 06 - 15. Retrieved 2009 - 06 - 22. Jump up ^ `` Sergeant Major Michael P. Barrett, USMC ''. Who 's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. Retrieved 2015 - 02 - 21. Jump up ^ `` Sergeant Major Ronald L. Green, USMC ''. Who 's Who in Marine Corps History. Marine Corps Historical Division. Retrieved 2015 - 02 - 21. 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Smith Vandegrift Barrett Keyser Schmidt Rockey Peck Turnage Shepherd O. Smith Silverthorn Thomas Pate Megee McCaul Munn Hayes Mangrum Chapman Walt McCutcheon R. Davis Anderson Jaskilka Barrow McLennan Kelley J. Davis Morgan Went J.R. Dailey Boomer Hearney Neal Dake Williams Nyland Magnus Amos Dunford Paxton Walters Sergeants Major Bestwick Rauber McHugh Sweet J.W. Daily Puckett Black Massaro Crawford Cleary Sommers Overstreet Lee McMichael Estrada Kent Barrett Green Secretary of the Navy ( navbox ) Four - star generals Headquarters Marine Corps Category Military Senior enlisted advisor posts Australia Warrant Officer of the Air Force Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army Warrant Officer of the Navy Canada Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Chief Warrant Officer of the Air Force Denmark Sergeant Major of the Army Chief Master Sergeant of the RDAF New Zealand Warrant officer of the Navy Singapore Sergeant Major of the Army Master Chief Navy Air Force Command Chief South Africa Master at Arms of the Navy Sergeant Major of the Army Sergeant Major of the Air Force United Kingdom Army Sergeant Major Chief of the Air Staff 's Warrant Officer Warrant Officer of the Naval Service Royal Marines Corps Regimental Sergeant Major United States Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Sergeant Major of the Army Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Senior Enlisted Advisor for the National Guard Bureau Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sergeant_Major_of_the_Marine_Corps&oldid=824969841 '' Categories : Sergeants Major of the Marine Corps Senior Enlisted Advisor United States Marine Corps leadership United States Marine Corps lists United States Marine Corps ranks 1957 establishments in the United States Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from July 2013 Featured lists Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español Русский Українська Edit links This page was last edited on 10 February 2018, at 18 : 15. 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Question: what is the highest enlisted rank in the marine corps
Answer: sergeant major