UNITED STATES ARMY

Sergeant Major John Q. Guard 

111 S. George Mason Drive 

Arlington, VA 22204

BIOGRAPHY

This paragraph introduces the individual with his or her rank and full name, followed by organization, base and location. 

The following sentence(s) should describe the subject’s overall title authority/responsibility, which could be compared to 

the equivalent of a mission statement for the position. The top line of this paragraph should be roughly parallel to the top 

edge of the photo and justified on both the left and right side. Because the subject’s full rank and title has been utilized

in the identification line, it is not necessary to use the member’s full rank and name in the subsequent text. “The 

Sergeant,” “Lt. Col. Jones,” or “he/she” are all acceptable.

This paragraph should be a summary sketch of the subject’s entire military career. It is not intended to be a complete list 

of all assignments; include only the most significant ones. Begin with how the member entered the Army, i.e., 

month/year of enlistment, followed by basic/advanced training course and month/year of graduation.

Preferably, this paragraph should be anywhere from 15–25 lines and justified on both the left and right. It can include,

but is not limited to, the following: A statement that describes the breadth and depth of a full career. Include if it spanned

two or more services or components; Participation in named operations, e.g., operations Noble Eagle, Iraqi Freedom 

and Enduring Freedom; Participation in any special assignments, positions, AGR or short tour positions; Any key 

projects affected by your leadership. An official biography is a public affairs communication tool similar to a

news release, therefore it is required to comply with AP style.

In a third paragraph, traditional drill-status Guard members may want to include any current or past civilian occupations 

or experiences that are relevant to their military career. This is your chance to highlight what you bring to the table e.g., 

Sergeant Major Guard served as a high school Chemistry teacher in several Oklahoma schools for more than 22 years. 

For the past three years, he has served as the principal of Sweet Home High School in Smithboro, Oklahoma. Or, 

Sergeant Major Guard has served as the chief compliance officer for a Fortune 500 company for the past five years, and 

has more than 15 years of experience in the field. (Do NOT use specific civilian company names, as this implies 

government endorsement). The final sentence in the narrative should read “Prior to assuming his/her current position, 

the Chief was the (position title, organization, base, location).” If your narrative contains three paragraphs, it will be the 

final sentence in the third paragraph

MILITARY EDUCATION (year of completion)

2000 Basic Leader Course, Camp Shelby, Mississippi 

2004 Advanced Leader Course, Fort Sill, Oklahoma 

2008 Senior Leader Course, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

2010 Senor Enlisted Joint Primary Military Education, Joint Knowledge Online

2012 Reserve National Security Course , National Defense University, Ft. McNair, Washington, D.C. 

2016 United States Sergeant Major Army Course, Fort Bliss, Texas

2018 Battalion Pre-Command Course, Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
EFFECTIVE DATE OF KEY PROMOTIONS/APPOINTMENTS

SERGEANT June 2000

STAFF SERGEANT April 2003

SERGEANT FIRST CLASS April 2007

MASTER SERGEANT April 2011

FIRST SERGEANT November 2013

SERGEANT MAJOR April 2016

COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR October 2018

ASSIGNMENTS (In descending order)

OCT 18-Present Command Sergeant Major, 1/123 Infantry Battalion

APR 16-SEP 18 Operations Sergeant Major, 45th Special Troops Battalion 

NOV 13-MAR 16 First Sergeant Major, Alpha CO, 1/123 Infantry Battalion 

APR 11-OCT 13 G3 Operations NCOIC, HHC 45th Armor Division

APR 07-MAR 11 Platoon Sergeant, B CO 3-123 Armor Battalion 

APR 05-MAR 07 Instructor, 52nd Combat Arms Training Brigade 

APR 03-MAR 05 Squad Leader, B CO 4-123 Infantry Battalion 

JUN 00-JUN 03 Team Chief, B CO 4-123 Infantry Battalion

JUN 95-MAY 00 Crew member

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster [NOT “one oak leaf cluster”] 

Meritorious Service Medal

Joint Service Commendation Medal

Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters

Army Achievement Medal with six oak leaf clusters [NOT “one silver oak leaf 

cluster and one bronze oak leaf cluster”]

STATE AWARDS AND DECORATIONS (optional for ALL, follow guidance 

above, recommended for in-state use)

Oregon Commendation Medal 

Oregon Outstanding Unit

Louisiana Emergency Service Ribbon

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science, Chemistry- Massachusetts Institute of Technology

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS

Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States, Life Member 

Association of the United States Army, Life Member

Veterans of Foreign Wars, Life Member

(Current as of December 2018)