Michael A. Grinston

Michael A. Grinston is the current Sergeant Major of the Army in the United States. Prior to his current position, he served as the senior enlisted leader for the United States Army Forces Command.

Sergeant Major of the Army Michael A. Grinston was sworn in as the 16th Sergeant Major of the Army on August 9, 2019. Grinston has held every enlisted leadership position in artillery, ranging from cannon crewmember to command sergeant major.

As the Sergeant Major of the Army, Grinston is the Army Chief of Staff's personal adviser on matters affecting the enlisted force. He devotes the majority of his time traveling throughout the Army to observe training and interact with soldiers and their families. He sits on a variety of councils and boards that make decisions affecting enlisted soldiers and their families and routinely invited to testify before Congress. Grinston is the public face of the U.S. Army's Non-commissioned Officer Corps, representing the NCO Corps to the American people in the media and through business and community engagements.

Grinston is a native of Jasper, Alabama, and enlisted in the Army in October 1987. He attended Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training as an artilleryman at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Grinston’s deployments include Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield, Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn, Inherent Resolve, Enduring Freedom, and Kosovo. As the 1st Infantry Division command sergeant major, Grinston served as the senior enlisted leader for the Army’s first deployment of a division headquarters in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. He also served as the I Corps command sergeant major, and as the command sergeant major for U.S. Army Forces Command.

He has been assigned to 1-84 FA at Fort Lewis, Washington, 2-320th FA at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, two tours at Ledward Barracks in Schweinfurt, Germany with 5-41 FA and 1-7th FA, 1-39th FA at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, E/1- 22 FA Fort Sill, Oklahoma, D/319th FA, 1-508 IN and 2-503 IN at Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy. His service as a command sergeant major includes assignments as a Battalion Command Sergeant Major (CSM) with 2-15 FA at Fort Drum, New York, Observer Controller CSM at Hohenfels, Germany, Brigade CSM 170th IBCT in Baumholder, Germany, Brigade CSM 4/101 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, 1st Infantry Division CSM at Fort Riley, Kansas, and I Corps at Joint Base Lewis–McChord, Washington.

Grinston’s military education includes all levels of the Non-commissioned Officer Education System. He is a graduate of Ranger School, Airborne School, Drill Sergeant School, Air Assault School, How the Army Runs Course, the Equal Opportunity Leaders Course and the Keystone Course. Grinston holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Maryland University College.

Grinston is married and has two children.