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The senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, that advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and the ...
(SEAC) is the most senior non-commissioned officer (NCO) position overall in the
United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...
. The SEAC is appointed by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to serve as a spokesperson to address the issues of enlisted personnel to the highest positions in the Department of Defense. As such, the SEAC is the primary enlisted advisor to the
chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the group ...
, and serves at the pleasure of the
secretary of defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in so ...
. The SEAC's exact duties vary, depending on the chairman, though the SEAC generally devotes much their time traveling throughout the
Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...
, to observe training and communicating to service members and their families. The SEAC's normal term of assignment is runs concurrently with the Chairman, but an incumbent may be reappointed to serve longer. The first member to hold this post was William Gainey (appointed on 1 October 2005). The current SEAC is Ramón Colón-López, USAF who assumed the duties on 13 December 2019.


History


Service senior enlisted advisors

Although
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
and
Marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military ...
headquarters from
battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions ...
s and
regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...
s, up to divisions, to
corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...
,
army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
headquarters and higher, have traditionally each had a sergeant major; and
Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...
and Coast Guard vessels have traditionally each had a Command Master Chief or
chief of the boat The chief of the boat (COB) is an enlisted sailor on board a U.S. Navy submarine who serves as the senior enlisted advisor to both the Commanding Officer (CO) and Executive Officer (XO). Overview The COB assists with matters regarding the g ...
; the services' national headquarters generally had no counterpart position. The Marine Corps was the exception, having a Sergeant Major from 1801 until 1946, and a Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps from 23 May 1957 onwards, as the senior enlisted advisor to the Commandant of the Marine Corps. The other services followed during the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
, creating the counterpart positions of Sergeant Major of the Army in 1966, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force in 1967, and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard in 1969. The National Guard established its own equivalent position, Senior Enlisted Advisor for the National Guard Bureau, in 2003. The chief master sergeant of the Space Force was established in 2020. The positions are generically or collectively referred to as "senior enlisted advisors" ("SEAs"). Only one soldier, sailor, Marine, airman, Space Force guardian, or coast guardsman can hold that rank at any one time; moreover, the position's singularity is not deemed to prevent the technical overlap of a few weeks while a recently "retired" SEA remains legally on active duty for the duration of his accrued back-leave, known as "transitional leave"). Each advises his or her service chief ( Chief of Staff of the Army, Commandant of the Marine Corps,
Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the professional head of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy. In a separate capacity as a memb ...
, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Chief of Space Operations, and Commandant of the Coast Guard) and other senior service leaders on all enlisted matters, makes decisions affecting enlisted personnel and their families, and is often invited to testify before Congress.


Creation and history

The position of Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman was created in 2005 under General
Peter Pace Peter Pace (born November 5, 1945) is a retired United States Marine Corps general who served as the 16th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Pace was the first Marine officer appointed as chairman and the first Marine officer to be appointed ...
. The newly created position was established to advise the Chairman on all matters involving enlisted personnel in a joint environment. General
Peter Pace Peter Pace (born November 5, 1945) is a retired United States Marine Corps general who served as the 16th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Pace was the first Marine officer appointed as chairman and the first Marine officer to be appointed ...
selected
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
Command Sergeant Major William Gainey to serve as the first Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman ("SEAC"), beginning 1 October 2005. Gainey had more than 30 years of active-duty experience including an extensive background in joint operations. He had most recently served as the command sergeant major of
III Corps 3rd Corps, Third Corps, III Corps, or 3rd Army Corps may refer to: France * 3rd Army Corps (France) * III Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * III Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of t ...
and Fort Hood,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, from 9 May 2003 until 30 September 2005. He served as Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman until he retired on 25 April 2008. When Admiral
Michael Mullen Michael Glenn Mullen (born October 4, 1946) is a retired United States Navy admiral, who served as the 17th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 1, 2007, to September 30, 2011. Mullen previously served as the Navy's 28th chief of ...
became Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he consulted the SEAs of the services and opted not to appoint a SEA in his own office. Mullen concluded that the service SEAs were the best suited to address issues by while being among the troops, rather than having one serve on the Joint Staff. The position was reinstated in 2011 by Mullen's successor, General Martin Dempsey. General Dempsey selected
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through c ...
Sergeant Major
Bryan B. Battaglia Bryan B. Battaglia is a retired United States Marine who served as Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sworn into office on 30 September 2011. He held this position until December 11, 2015. Early life Battaglia ...
to serve as the 2nd Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman,
Joint Chiefs of Staff The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, that advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and the ...
. He took his post on 1 October 2011. Battaglia had more than 36 years of service at all levels including multiple combat deployments and senior enlisted assignments. He served as Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman until 11 December 2015. General Joseph Dunford selected
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
CSM
John W. Troxell John Wayne Troxell (born 1964) is a retired United States Army senior Non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned officer who served as the third Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC). This position made him ...
to serve as the 3rd Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman. Troxell took his post on 11 October 2015, and served until 13 December 2019. By the end of Troxell's term, each service began developing their own insignia for the SEAC, with the Army being the first to establish their version.


Roles and responsibilities

The SEAC has oversight in any area that the Chairman assigns him. The SEAC is the spokesman of the Chairman to all services' SEAs. The SEAC, in some cases, is the spokesman for all enlisted members of the services and
combatant commands A unified combatant command (CCMD), also referred to as a combatant command, is a joint military command of the United States Department of Defense that is composed of units from two or more service branches of the United States Armed Forces, an ...
during meetings with leaders from the services, civilian community, and service leaders of other nations. The SEAC is not in the direct chain of command of the services' nor combatant commands' SEAs; however, he is in the NCO communication chain. The SEAC is the Chairman's link to and/or from the services' and combatant commands' SEAs. During visits to areas of operation, the SEAC identifies issues and problems that might affect the services as a whole. When a problem is identified, he works with the services to find a common solution and help integrate, if possible, the solution into all of the services. Recently, combatant commands, which are joint duty and contain enlisted members from various services, have created Senior Enlisted Advisor (SEA) positions. * The SEAC is an advisor to the Chairman on all matters concerning joint and combined total force integration, utilization, and development. Additionally, the SEAC helps develop NCO-related joint professional education, enhance utilization of senior NCOs on joint battle staffs, and support the Chairman’s responsibilities as directed. * In carrying out the functions, roles, duties, and responsibilities, the SEAC, as appropriate, consults with and seek the advice of the services' and combatant commands' SEAs on all issues pertaining to joint service members. * The SEAC convenes regular meetings with the services' and combatant commands' SEAs.


Insignia

*U.S. Army SEACs wear a unique collar insignia featuring the shield portion of the insignia of an aide-de-camp to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs (less the surmounting eagle), placed upon a gold-colored Army enlisted collar disk, one inch in diameter; the collar brass is also worn in place of
distinctive unit insignia A distinctive unit insignia (DUI) is a metallic heraldic badge or device worn by soldiers in the United States Army. The DUI design is derived from the coat of arms authorized for a unit. DUIs may also be called "distinctive insignia" (DI) or, imp ...
on his beret, garrison cap, and pull-over sweater, in the same manner as the Sergeant Major of the Army wears unique collar brass. This insignia is in keeping with the collar devices of U.S. Army enlisted soldiers, and is patterned directly upon that of the Sergeant Major of the Army. * On 9 December 2019, it was announced that current and future SEACs will wear a unique rank insignia featuring an eagle gripping three arrows surrounded by four stars to be incorporated into the service specific E-9 insignias. SgtMaj Bryan Battaglia and CSM William Gainey's tenure preceded this announcement, thus they wore sergeant major and command sergeant major insignia respectively. By the end of 2019 the Army and Air Force were the only two services that had created a rank service insignia. The Institute of Heraldry was tasked in designing the SEAC rank insignias for all the services. The design of a Marine Corps SEAC rank insignia was completed during fiscal year 2020. The design and development of the Navy SEAC rank insignia was coordinated by the Navy. In 2022, the Space Force has also began the process of creating a SEAC insignia. File:USA SEAC (Army greens).svg, Army insignia
(2019–present) File:USMC-E9-SEAC.svg, Marine Corps insignia
(2020–present) File:USN SEAC.svg, Navy insignia
(''Pending approval'') File:USAF SEAC.svg, Air Force insignia
(2019–present) File:Blank 50px.png, Space Force insignia
(''In progress'')


Positional color and protocol

* The Sergeant Major of the Army, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps and the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman are the only enlisted members of the United States armed forces to be authorized a positional color (flag). * The SEAC's positional color is based upon that of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the one of the Sergeant Major of the Army is based on that of the Chief of Staff of the Army. The central element of the color is a rendering of the SEAC collar insignia, less the surrounding disk. The diagonal line separating the blue in the upper right from the white in the lower left is continued to the corners of the flag. * Despite the unique duties and protocol position of this position, the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman remains a non-commissioned officer and, as such, is obliged to render a salute to all commissioned officers and warrant officers. In practice, junior commissioned officers are generally deferential to the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman, given their long record of service. Akin to the Sergeants Major, Chief Master Sergeants and Master Chief Petty Officers of the various service branches, the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman is granted informal precedence over all lieutenant generals and vice admirals in matters of seating, billeting, parking and transportation.


Pay grade

The Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman and the other seven SEAs holds a special pay grade above E-9. In accordance with , Schedule 8, their base pay is $9,355.50 per month ($112,266 per year), regardless of the incumbent's service longevity. For comparison, any other E-9, even with the maximum 40 years of service, would receive $8,988.90 per month. In addition to base pay and normal tax-free allowances, the SEAC and the other SEAs are each entitled to a special tax-free allowance of $2,000 per year, in accordance with .


Chronological list


See also

* Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff * Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chiefs of Staff Committee - British Armed Forces equivalent


Notes


References


Further reading


Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman (SEAC) of the Joint Chiefs of Staff - Functions, Duties, Roles and ResponsibilitiesSenior Enlisted Advisor Explains Duties, PhilosophiesPace Selects Army Tanker as First JCS Senior Enlisted Adviser.Dunford selects UNC/CFC/USFK senior enlisted leader as Third SEAC.This Air Force Special Operator is about to be the Pentagon's Top Enlisted Leader
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External links

* {{Senior Enlisted Advisor *S Enlisted ranks of the United States Air Force Enlisted ranks of the United States Space Force