Which rank is the Army's top enlisted member who directly advises the Army's leadership at the highest level?

• A. First Sergeant
• B. Sergeant Major of the Army
• C. Sergeant Major
• D. Command Sergeant Major

Answer: (B)

The main idea is recognizing who serves as the senior enlisted adviser to the Army’s highest leaders. The Sergeant Major of the Army is a unique, top-level position appointed to advise the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff of the Army, representing all enlisted soldiers at the highest level.

This role involves sitting in on important leadership meetings, weighing in on policies and issues affecting enlisted personnel, and communicating soldiers’ concerns up to the very top of Army leadership. The other titles operate at lower levels: a First Sergeant is the senior NCO for a company and advises the company commander; a Command Sergeant Major serves as the senior enlisted adviser to a larger command (like a division or corps) but not the entire Army; a Sergeant Major is a senior NCO at a unit or formation level. Because only the Sergeant Major of the Army has the direct, Army-wide advisory role to the top leadership, it’s the correct choice.