# Michael A. Grinston

Michael Anthony Grinston (born 1968) is a retired soldier of the United States Army who served as the 16th Sergeant Major of the Army from 2019 to 2023. Prior to his term as Sergeant Major of the Army, he served as the senior enlisted leader for United States Army Forces Command.

## Military career

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Grinston is a native of Jasper, Alabama, and enlisted in the United States Army in October 1987. He attended Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training as an artilleryman at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Grinston's deployments include Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield, Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn, Inherent Resolve, Enduring Freedom, and Kosovo.
Grinston has been assigned to: 1st Battalion, 84th Field Artillery Regiment at Fort Lewis, Washington; 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; two tours at Ledward Barracks in Schweinfurt, Germany with the 5th Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment and 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment; 1st Battalion, 39th Field Artillery Regiment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; 1st Battalion, 22nd Field Artillery Regiment at Fort Sill, Oklahoma; 319th Field Artillery Regiment; and 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment and 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment at Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy. His service as a command sergeant major (CSM) includes assignments as a battalion CSM with 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment at Fort Drum, New York, Observer Controller CSM at Hohenfels, Germany, Brigade CSM 170th Infantry Brigade in Baumholder, Germany, brigade CSM 4th Brigade, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, 1st Infantry Division CSM at Fort Riley, Kansas, and I Corps at Joint Base Lewis–McChord, Washington. As the 1st Infantry Division CSM, Grinston served as the senior enlisted leader for the army's first deployment of a division headquarters in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. He also served as the command sergeant major for United States Army Forces Command.
Grinston was sworn in as the 16th Sergeant Major of the Army on August 9, 2019. As the Sergeant Major of the Army, Grinston was the Army Chief of Staff's personal adviser on matters affecting the enlisted force. He devoted the majority of his time traveling throughout the army to observe training and interact with soldiers and their families. He sat on a variety of councils and boards that made decisions affecting enlisted soldiers and their families and routinely invited to testify before Congress. Grinston was the public face of the army's Non-commissioned Officer Corps, representing the NCO Corps to the American people in the media and through business and community engagements.
Grinston's military education included all levels of the Non-commissioned Officer Education System. He was a graduate of Ranger School, Airborne School, Drill Sergeant School, Air Assault School, How the Army Runs Course, the Equal Opportunity Leaders Course and the Keystone Course. Grinston holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Grinston's retirement ceremony was on August 3, 2023; he relinquished responsibility as SMA to Michael R. Weimer on August 4.

## Post-military Career

On January 1, 2024, Grinston became director and chief executive officer of the non-profit organization Army Emergency Relief. AER is the official non-profit of the U.S. Army.

## Personal life

Grinston is biracial. He was born to an African-American father and a white mother. They divorced when he was three years old. He is married to Alexandra Grinston, and they are the parents of two children.

## Awards and decorations

* Combat Action Badge
* Ranger tab
* Master Parachutist Badge
* Air Assault Badge
* Expert Marksman Badge with one weapon bar
* Drill Sergeant Identification Badge
* 1st Infantry Division Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
* German Parachutist Badge in bronze
* 11 Service stripes
* 9 Overseas Service Bars
* Army Distinguished Service Medal
* Defense Superior Service Medal
* Legion of Merit with two bronze oak leaf clusters
* Bronze Star Medal with "V" device with three oak-leaf clusters
* Meritorious Service Medal with silver oak leaf cluster
* Army Commendation Medal with silver oak leaf cluster
* Army Achievement Medal with two silver oak leaf clusters
* Joint Meritorious Unit Award
* Valorous Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
* Meritorious Unit Commendation with two oak leaf clusters
* Army Good Conduct Medal (11 awards)
* National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
* Southwest Asia Service Medal with two service stars
* Kosovo Campaign Medal with service star
* Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two service stars
* Iraq Campaign Medal with four service stars
* Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal with service star
* Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
* NCO Professional Development Ribbon with bronze award numeral 5
* Army Service Ribbon
* Army Overseas Service Ribbon with award numeral 6
* NATO Medal for service with ISAF
* Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
* Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)