United States Armed Forces position
The SEAs from each branch at the 2009 Commander in Chief's Ball
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.
Current senior enlisted advisors in the US military
Service senior enlisted advisors
Position insignia
Position
Photo
Incumbent
Service branch
Start date
Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman
SEAC Troy E. Black
U.S. Marine Corps
November 3, 2023
Sergeant Major of the Army
SMAMichael R. Weimer
U.S. Army
August 4, 2023
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
SMMCCarlos A. Ruiz
U.S. Marine Corps
August 10, 2023
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
MCPONJames Honea
U.S. Navy
September 8, 2022
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
CMSAFDavid A. Flosi
U.S. Air Force
March 8, 2024
Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force
CMSSFJohn F. Bentivegna
U.S. Space Force
September 15, 2023
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard
MCPOCGHeath B. Jones
U.S. Coast Guard
May 19, 2022
Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau
SEAJohn T. Raines III
U.S. Army
November 8, 2024
Senior enlisted advisors, Unified Combatant Commands
U.S. Africa Command
United States Africa Command
SgtMajMichael P. Woods
U.S. Marine Corps
May 1, 2023
U.S. Central Command
United States Central Command
FLTCMDerrick A. Walters
U.S. Navy
U.S. Cyber Command
United States Cyber Command
CMSgtKenneth M. Bruce Jr.
U.S. Air Force
September 8, 2023
U.S. European Command
United States European Command
CSMRobert V. Abernethy
U.S. Army
June 7, 2022
United States Indo-Pacific Command
FLTCMDavid L. Isom
U.S. Navy
August 2021
U.S. Northern Command
United States Northern Command
CMSgtJohn G. Storms
U.S. Air Force
June 14, 2024
U.S. Southern Command
United States Southern Command
SgtMajRafael Rodriguez
U.S. Marine Corps
September 6, 2023
U.S. Space Command
United States Space Command
CMSgtJacob C. Simmons
U.S. Space Force
August 7, 2023
U.S. Special Operations Command
United States Special Operations Command
CSMShane W. Shorter
U.S. Army
August 2022
U.S. Strategic Command
United States Strategic Command
SgtMajHoward L. Kreamer
U.S. Marine Corps
September 2021
U.S. Transportation Command
United States Transportation Command
CMSgtBrian P. Kruzelnick
U.S. Air Force
June 7, 2023
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. On 20 June 2023 the Chief of the Defence Force General Angus Campbell announced the creation of the position of Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the Defence Force (SEAC) and that the outgoing Joint Operations Warrant Officer, Warrant Officer Ken Robertson would assume the position effective 1 July 2023.
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 of the 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)
WODR
Singapore
Singapore has a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Sergeant Major (SAFSM), as well as Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA), Master Chief Navy (MCN), Air Force Command Chief (AFCC) and Chief Expert, Digital and Intelligence Service (CXDI).
Service senior enlisted advisors
Rank insignia
Position
Photo
Incumbent
Service branch
Start date
SAF Sergeant Major
Chief Warrant OfficerChua Hock Guan
Singapore Army
March 30, 2022
Sergeant Major of the Army
Chief Warrant OfficerSanjee Singh s/o Saraina
Singapore Army
May 5, 2023
Master Chief Navy
Military Expert 6Goh Leng Yan
Republic of Singapore Navy
September 30, 2015
Air Force Command Chief
Military Expert 6Ng See Lye
Republic of Singapore Air Force
May 25, 2021
Chief Expert, Digital and Intelligence Service
Military Expert 6Noh Kok Tiong
Digital and Intelligence Service
October 28, 2022
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 to the Royal Navy , 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.
References
^ "New Role Gives Personnel Direct Line to Chief" . Royal Australian Defence Organisation. 3 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023 .
^ "Warrant Officer Andrew Bertoncin, Warrant Officer of the Navy" . Royal Australian Navy. n.d. Retrieved 4 July 2023 .
^ "Canadian Armed Forces Chief Warrant Officer – Biography" . Canadian Government . Retrieved 10 August 2024 .
^ https://www.cmfmag.ca/policy/22nd-royal-canadian-navy-command-chief-petty-officer-announced/
^ "Chief Petty Officer of the Navy" . navy-marine.forces.gc.ca . Retrieved 21 September 2021 .
^ "Chief Warrant Officer J.M. Smith, MMM, CD" . army.gc.ca . Retrieved 21 September 2021 .
^ "Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Royal Canadian Air Force" . rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca . Retrieved 21 September 2021 .
^ "Chief Warrant Officer N.E. Belanger, MMM, CD" . Government of Canada. 1 October 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2021 .
^ https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/nzdf/structure-and-leadership/warrant-officer-class-one-wiremu-moffitt-2/
^ https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/nzdf/structure-and-leadership/warrant-officer-kerry-williams/
^ "Mothusi Victor Kgaladi new WO SANDF" . DefenceWeb.
^ Wingrin, Dean (February 2, 2018). "New Master-At-Arms for the Navy" . Defenceweb. Retrieved February 5, 2018 .
^ "Mtshatsheni is new SA Army sergeant major" . Defenceweb. 2 February 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2017 .
^ "New commander for 515 Squadron" . March 12, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020 .
^ "WO1 Glenn Haughton OBE has been appointed as the first Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chiefs of Staff Committee (SEAC)" . GOV.UK . Ministry of Defence. 1 November 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2018 .
^ @SEAC_Defence (30 January 2020). "Congratulations to the newly appointed Warrant Officer of the Naval Service @WOCarlSteedman . And welcome to the world of Twitter! Give him a follow, I look forward to regular sea stories and shenanigans from the @RoyalNavy" (Tweet ) – via Twitter .
^ First Sea Lord [@AdmTonyRadakin] (31 January 2020). "But as one WONS steps down, another steps up. Welcome to WO Carl "Speedy" Steedman, who takes up the role from today. Looking forward to working with him. Please do follow him on Twitter @WOCarlSteedman" (Tweet ) – via Twitter .
^ "Ground View" . Soldier Magazine. 1 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021 .
^ "Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer" . Royal Air Force website - Senior Commanders . RAF.mod.uk. Retrieved 5 October 2019 .
^ "Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force" . Royal Air Force Families Federation. Retrieved 19 September 2021 .
^ @AdmTonyRadakin (31 July 2020). "Thank you, WO1 Mason, for your magnificent service and all that you have done for @RoyalMarines and @RoyalNavy. Congratulations on an exemplary career. And welcome to WO1 Richard Angove as the new Corps RSM. Well done on your appointment, and looking forward to working with you" (Tweet ) – via Twitter .
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