Marine Expeditionary Unit until July 1995, when he was reassigned as the sergeant major of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. From January 1997 to June 1999, he served as the sergeant major for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Division, Headquarters Marine Corps. On 1 July 1999, McMichael assumed his post as the 14th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, becoming the first African-American to hold the post. His tenure as the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps saw the establishment of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program and the commencement of the Global War on Terrorism. In June 2003, deferring his planned retirement, McMichael assumed a newly created post as the Senior Non-Commissioned Officer for Allied Command Operations, becoming the senior enlisted advisor to General James L. Jones, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, and Commander, United States European Command, which was technically a demotion from his previous rank and position. He and General Jones previously served together while the latter was the 32nd Commandant of the Marine Corps. McMichael served in this role from June 2003 until July 17, 2006, when he was succeeded by Army Command Sergeant Major Michael Bartelle. He retired from the Marine Corps shortly after with his highest appointed rank of Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. Personal life McMichael sits on the steering committee of the National Symposium for the Needs of Young Veterans, hosted by AMVETS. In 2003, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America citing that "the Sergeant Major [had] come a long way from segregated Hot Springs, where the Club was the only colorblind place to play," named McMichael to its "Alumni Hall of Fame." McMichael commented, "The Club gave me those things I use today in the Marine Corps . . . You made a difference in one child’s life." McMichael credits the Club, which he joined at age 9, with giving him a vision of what the world should and could be. In 2008, McMichael's memoirs were published under the title LEADERSHIP: Achieving Life-Changing Success From Within. Awards and honors Bibliography See also Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Notes References Official NATO ACO Biography Interview with Marines Magazine External links Official NATO ACO SNCO Website |- Living people People from Hot Springs, Arkansas Hot Springs High School (Arkansas) alumni Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit Sergeants Major of the Marine Corps 1952 births American