Daniel A. Dailey

Not to be confused with Dan Daly.

Daniel A. Dailey (born January 11, 1969) is a former United States Army soldier who served as the 15th Sergeant Major of the Army from January 30, 2015, to August 9, 2019. Prior to his tenure as the Sergeant Major of the Army,^[1] he served as the Command Sergeant Major for the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command.

Daniel A. Dailey
Dailey at the Pentagon in January 2015
Born	(1969-01-11) January 11, 1969 (age 55) Palmerton, Pennsylvania, United States
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Army
Years of service	1989–2020
Rank	Sergeant Major of the Army
Battles / wars	Gulf War Operation Desert Storm Iraq War Operation Iraqi Freedom Siege of Sadr City
Awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal (3) Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star Medal (4) with "V" Device Meritorious Service Medal (2) Army Commendation Medal (7) Army Achievement Medal (10)

Army Gen. Raymond Odierno, chief of staff of the Army, and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel Dailey

Early life and education

A native of Palmerton, Pennsylvania, Dailey entered the United States Army as an 11B (Infantryman) in 1989. He enlisted at the age of 17 prior to graduating high school.^[2] He attended Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Benning, Georgia. His civilian education includes a Bachelor of Science degree in history from Excelsior University.

Military career

Dailey is sworn in as the 15th sergeant major of the Army by Army chief of staff General Raymond T. Odierno on January 30, 2015.

Dailey's military education includes Basic Noncommissioned Officer's Course, the Bradley Master Gunner Course, the Advanced Noncommissioned Officer's Course, First Sergeants Course, the Force Management Course, the Keystone Course, the Sergeants Major Academy, and the Command Sergeants Major course. He has served in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Infantry Divisions.

Dailey is decorated with the Bronze Star Medal with Valor for his leadership during the Siege of Sadr City. Later, he was selected as the 4th Infantry Division command sergeant major in 2009. Prior to his selection as the Sergeant Major of the Army, he served as the command sergeant major of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command.

As Sergeant Major of the Army, Dailey served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army's personal adviser on all enlisted-related matters, particularly in areas affecting soldier training and quality of life. In August 2019, Dailey stepped down as Sergeant Major of the Army and was succeeded in his post by Command Sergeant Major Michael A. Grinston.^[3] Dailey's official retirement date was January 1, 2020.^[4]

Personal life

Dailey is a member of the Order of Saint Maurice (Centurion) and a member of the Distinguished Sergeant Audie Murphy Club.^[5][6][2][7]

Eric Fanning, Mark A. Milley and Daniel A. Dailey

Dailey and Milley in the new Army "Pinks and Greens".

Awards and decorations

Combat Infantryman Badge

Expert Infantryman Badge

Ranger tab

Wheeled Vehicle Driver Badge (Driver-W)

Expert Rifle Badge

Army Staff Identification Badge

4th Infantry Division Shoulder Sleeve Insignia

9th Infantry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia

10 Service stripes

8 Overseas Service Bars

	Army Distinguished Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters[8][9]
	Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
	Bronze Star with "V" device and three oak leaf clusters
	Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
	Army Commendation Medal with six oak leaf clusters
	Army Achievement Medal with eight oak leaf clusters
	(second ribbon to denote tenth award due to accoutrement spacing)
	Valorous Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
	Meritorious Unit Commendation with oak leaf cluster
	Army Good Conduct Medal (10 awards)
	National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
	Southwest Asia Service Medal with one campaign star
	Iraq Campaign Medal with five campaign stars
	Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
	Korea Defense Service Medal
	NCO Professional Development Ribbon with bronze award numeral 5
	Army Service Ribbon
	Army Overseas Service Ribbon with award numeral 6
	Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
	Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

References

1. Rempfer, Kyle (16 August 2019). "Army 'ahead of schedule' in integrating women in combat arms, outgoing SMA says as he departs". Army Times. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
2. "Newsmaker Q&A: Daniel Dailey, Sergeant Major of the Army". The Morning Call. March 21, 2015.
3. "New Sergeant Major of the Army Named". Association of the United States Army. 11 June 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
4. "SMA Dailey receives certificate of retirement". Joint Chiefs of Staff. 24 November 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
5. "SMA Dailey: "I am merely a product of the best the Army has ever had to offer" – NCO Journal". ncojournal.dodlive.mil.
6. "Sergeant Major of the Army – The United States Army". Sergeant Major of the Army – The United States Army.
7. "Palmerton man achieves top Army post | Times News Online". www.tnonline.com. Retrieved 2019-04-12.
8. "From trade skills to black socks, outgoing SMA hands over the job, says 'great things' ahead from his replacement – Army Times". armytimes.com. 19 August 2019.
9. The Joint Staff (25 November 2019). "Congratulations to former SMA Dailey on retiring after over 30 years". Facebook. Retrieved 26 November 2019.

External links

• Official Site as Sergeant Major of the Army
• Official U.S. Army Biography

Military offices
Preceded by Raymond F. Chandler	Sergeant Major of the Army 2015–2019	Succeeded by Michael A. Grinston