Senior enlisted advisor
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/US-President_Obama_Commander_in_Chief%27s_Ball_2009.jpg/220px-US-President_Obama_Commander_in_Chief%27s_Ball_2009.jpg)
A Senior Enlisted Advisor (SEA) in the United States Armed Forces is the most senior enlisted service member in a unit, and acts as an advisor to the commanding officer. Formally, E-9 billets for the senior enlisted advisor are established at Service unit (e.g., battalion, wing, or higher), command, major command, force, or fleet levels to the SEAs/CSELs of DoD Agencies and the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. SEAs are also known as Command Senior Enlisted Leaders (CSEL). Always a non-commissioned officer, the SEA is the main link between the commanding officer and the enlisted service members under his or her charge.
Examples[]
Service senior enlisted advisors | |||||
Position insignia | Position | Photo | Incumbent | Service branch | Start date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman | ![]() |
SEAC Ramón Colón-López |
![]() U.S. Air Force |
December 13, 2019 |
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Sergeant Major of the Army | ![]() |
SMA Michael A. Grinston |
![]() U.S. Army |
August 9, 2019 |
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Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps | ![]() |
SMMC Troy E. Black |
![]() U.S. Marine Corps |
July 26, 2019 |
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Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy | ![]() |
MCPON Russell L. Smith |
![]() U.S. Navy |
August 29, 2018 |
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Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force | ![]() |
CMSAF JoAnne S. Bass |
![]() U.S. Air Force |
August 14, 2020 |
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Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force | ![]() |
CMSSF Roger A. Towberman |
![]() U.S. Space Force |
April 3, 2020 |
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Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard | ![]() |
MCPOCG Jason M. Vanderhaden |
![]() U.S. Coast Guard |
May 17, 2018 |
Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau | ![]() |
SEA Tony L. Whitehead |
![]() U.S. Air Force |
July 26, 2019 | |
Senior enlisted advisors, Unified Combatant Commands | |||||
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United States Africa Command | ![]() |
SgtMaj Richard D. Thresher |
![]() U.S. Marine Corps |
February 28, 2020 |
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United States Central Command | ![]() |
FLTCM James Herdel |
![]() U.S. Navy |
|
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United States Cyber Command | ![]() |
CSM Sheryl D. Lyon |
![]() U.S. Army |
September 25, 2020 |
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United States European Command | ![]() |
CCMS Phillip L. Easton |
![]() U.S. Air Force |
August 2, 2019 |
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United States Indo-Pacific Command | ![]() |
CSM Shane W. Shorter |
![]() U.S. Army |
|
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United States Northern Command | ![]() |
SgtMaj James K. Porterfield |
![]() U.S. Marine Corps |
June 29, 2021 |
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United States Southern Command | ![]() |
CSM Benjamin Jones |
![]() U.S. Army |
August 17, 2020 |
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United States Space Command | ![]() |
MGySgt Scott H. Stalker |
![]() U.S. Marine Corps |
|
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United States Special Operations Command | ![]() |
CCMS Gregory A. Smith |
![]() U.S. Air Force |
July 11, 2019 |
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United States Strategic Command | ![]() |
FLTCM John J. Perryman |
![]() U.S. Navy |
|
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United States Transportation Command | ![]() |
FLTCM Donald O. Myrick |
![]() U.S. Navy |
March 30, 2021 |
In the United States Army, the SEA for a battalion or larger-sized unit is usually a Command Sergeant Major. For Marine battalions and larger, a Sergeant Major typically takes the role. Navy ships and other commands will usually have a Command, Fleet, or Force Master Chief Petty Officer (known as the Chief of the Boat on a submarine), while an Air Force or Space Force Command Chief Master Sergeant serves at Wing, Delta, Numbered Air Force, Field Operating Agency (FOA), Major Command, Field Command or at "Joint," DoD Agency levels.[citation needed]
In the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps, the senior enlisted advisor at the company or battery level (or other unit at similar echelon) is a First Sergeant. In the Air Force and Space Force, the senior enlisted member of units smaller than those listed above for Command Chief Master Sergeant is either a Chief Master Sergeant or a Senior Master Sergeant and may also include a separate First Sergeant authorization. In the Air Force a First Sergeant can be an E7, E8 or E9, depending on size and mission of the unit, and is a temporary, special duty assignment.[citation needed]
International equivalents[]
Australia[]
In Australia the equivalent positions within the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) are Warrant Officer of the Navy (WO-N), Regimental Sergeant Major-Army (RSM-A) and Warrant Officer of the Air Force (WOFF-AF) respectively.
Canada[]
The Senior Enlisted advisor of the Canadian Forces is the Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer. The Army, Navy and Air Force each have their own Chief Warrant Officer acting as Senior Enlisted advisor
NATO[]
NATO also has a number of Senior Enlisted Advisors taken from NATO members for various posts, including Senior Enlisted Advisor - NATO Allied Command Transformation
New Zealand[]
In New Zealand the equivalent positions within the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN), New Zealand Army and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) are Warrant officer of the Navy (New Zealand) (WON), Sergeant Major-Army (SMA) and Warrant Officer of the Air Force (WOAF) respectively. there is also the Senior position within HQNZDF of the Warrant Officer of the Defence Force (WODF)
South Africa[]
South Africa has a Warrant officer of the Defence Force, as well as Sergeant Majors of the Army, Air Force and Medical Services. The Navy equivalent is the Master at Arms of the Navy
United Kingdom[]
The Royal Navy has the Warrant Officer of the Naval Service, the British Army has the Army Sergeant Major, the Royal Air Force has the Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer and the Royal Marines the Corps Regimental Sergeant Major. In 2018, the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chiefs of Staff Committee was introduced.
Service senior enlisted advisors | ||||
Position | Photo | Incumbent | Service branch | Start date |
---|---|---|---|---|
Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chiefs of Staff Committee | ![]() |
Warrant Officer Class One Glenn Haughton OBE |
![]() British Army |
November 1, 2018 |
Warrant Officer of the Naval Service | ![]() |
Warrant Officer Class One Carl Steedman |
![]() Royal Navy |
January 31, 2020 |
Army Sergeant Major | ![]() |
Warrant Officer Class One Gavin Paton |
![]() British Army |
November 8, 2018 |
Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer | ![]() |
Warrant Officer Class One MBE |
![]() Royal Air Force |
October 2019 |
Corps Regimental Sergeant Major | Warrant Officer Class One Richard Angove |
![]() Royal Marines |
July 2020 |
References[]
- Senior Enlisted Advisor on the Dictionary of Occupational Titles
- Senior Enlisted Advisor on TheFreeDictionary.com
- United States military specialisms