Sergeant major of the Marine Corps (E-9)

How to read it

One Marine holds the post at a time, personally selected by the commandant. It is paid as E-9, like the sergeant major and master gunnery sergeant. The Department of Defense names the sergeant major of the Marine Corps with the other services’ senior enlisted leaders as the spokespersons of the enlisted force at the highest levels of their services. The Marine Corps says this post and the Marine Gunner are the only ones that wear a modified rank insignia in place of the usual one. The emblem in the middle is the eagle, globe and anchor, the Marine Corps emblem.

Also searched as: SgtMajMC, SMMC.

Sergeant major of the Marine Corps or sergeant major?

A sergeant major has a single star between the chevrons and four rockers. The sergeant major of the Marine Corps has the Marine Corps emblem there, with a five-pointed star on each side.

The Army’s version

The sergeant major of the Army also has an eagle between two stars: the eagle from the Great Seal of the United States, over three arcs. The Marine version has the eagle, globe and anchor, over four rockers. Defense.gov abbreviates the Marine title SgtMajMC; the Marine Corps’ own rank list uses SMMC.