Daniel K. Elder
Encyclopedia
Command Sergeant Major Daniel Keith Elder is a retired United States Army
Command Sergeant Major who served as the 12th Senior Enlisted Advisor, United States Army Materiel Command
(CSM USAMC) from 2005 to 2008. With a background as a maintenance technician, his final assignment placed him as the most senior enlisted logistician and one of only a few Ordnance soldiers to be assigned as command sergeant major of an Army Command (ACOM). He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal
, and the Legion of Merit
twice, and was inducted to the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy Hall of Fame.
, Elder was raised in San Bernardino, California
and joined the Army through the Delayed Entry Program
in December 1981 as an enlisted soldier. He attended Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky and graduated in the Ordnance Corps as an Infantry Fighting Vehicle Mechanic, military occupational specialty 63T. He is a graduate of the US Army Sergeants Major Academy, Class 48, the Command Sergeants Major Force Management Course,
and the Joint Forces Command
KEYSTONE Command Senior Enlisted Leader course, National Defense University
. He was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Touro University, Cypress, CA.
Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Elder held a wide variety of important enlisted positions, culminating with his assignment as the Command Sergeant Major, U.S. Army Materiel Command, one of three of the US Army Major Commands and second only to the Sergeant Major of the Army
. Other key assignments include: Command Sergeant Major of the 13th Support Command, Fort Hood, Texas; and as the Command Sergeant Major of the multi-component brigade, 3rd Brigade, 75th Division, Fort Riley
, Kansas. He was selected to serve as the Command Sergeant Major of the Transition Team for then incoming US Army Chief of Staff
George W. Casey, Jr. in 2007. He also served as an Army Test Program Advisory Team (ATPAT) Member for the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences and as a committee member of the US Army Future NCO Workshop held by RAND's Arroyo Center in 1997.
Elder's career initially was technically focused as he served in maintenance positions as an Army mechanic. He earned certification by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence
(ASE) in both Automotive and Truck specialties, as the Army had no similar opportunities. He served as a mechanic (2/30th Infantry Battalion), Recovery Vehicle Operator (2/34th Infantry Battalion), Company Motor Sergeant (D Co, 1/36th Infantry), HHC Brigade Motor Sergeant (3rd Brigade, 3rd Armored Division) and as Battalion Motor Sergeant (3/12th Infantry Battalion). He was a Noncommissioned Officer Education System (NCOES) instructor at the Maintenance Department of the US Army Armor School, Fort Knox, Kentucky teaching schematics and troubleshooting techniques for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle turret system. He was selected as a drill instructor for the Armor School's Advanced Individual Training. He went on to serve as a First Sergeant for D Co. 123rd Main Support Battalion in Baumholder, Germany, and as a Battalion Sergeant Major for the 541st Maintenance Battalion, Fort Riley, Kansas. His operational deployment experience included OPERATION Joint Endeavor in Bosnia-Herzegovina and OPERATION Iraqi Freedom in Iraq.
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U.S. badges, patches and tabs
Drill Sergeant Badge
Driver and Mechanic Badge
Ordnance Corps (United States Army)
13th Sustainment Command patch
worn as his Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (US Army)-Former War Time Service (SSI-FWTS).
2 Overseas Service Bar
s
Command Sgt. Maj. Elder is also the recipient of the Ordnance Order of Samuel Sharpe and the Transportation Corps Order of Saint Christopher. He was inducted in to the US Army Sergeants Major Academy Hall of Honor and is the first recipient of the 13th Sustainment Command
Hall of Fame.
military community. He eventually moved the project to the World Wide Web
and built a themed portal called the NCO Website for US Army Noncommissioned Officers. The site matured and spun-off two anchor sites Squad-leader.com and Firstsergeant.com, and finally NCOTeam.org. Then Sergeant Major of the Army Jack L. Tilley
endorsed the concepts of sites like those for NCOs, and his staff took part in a US Army CIO/G-6 project to acquire the sites for formal adoption. Elder was awarded the first-ever Army Knowledge Management AKM Pioneer Award by the Army Chief Information Officer for his and his team work.
Because of the sites success, and the volunteer teams desire to provide security to the professional discussions, Elder donated the site to the newly formed Battle Command Knowledge System
in 2005, which was charged with managing online communities for the Army. The site was awarded a Knowledge Management Award in 2007 for excellence in migration.
(SEAC) of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
in 2009 and is an advisor for the US Army Noncommissioned Officer Museum Association at Fort Bliss, Texas. Elder was inducted in to the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy "Hall of Honor" on August 12, 2010 in El Paso, Texas. He holds a Master Certified Knowledge Management Professional (MKMP)
certification awarded on April 11, 2011 by the Knowledge Management Professional Society (KMPro)
and is also a KMPro Certified Knowledge Manager (CKM).
Elder is married to the former Gloria D. Reese of Blythe, California
. They have two daughters, Danielle, a first-grade teacher; and Courtney, an ensign (O-1) in the U.S. Coast Guard.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Command Sergeant Major who served as the 12th Senior Enlisted Advisor, United States Army Materiel Command
United States Army Materiel Command
The U.S. Army Materiel Command is the primary provider of materiel to the United States Army.The Command's mission includes the research & development of weapons systems as well as maintenance and parts distribution....
(CSM USAMC) from 2005 to 2008. With a background as a maintenance technician, his final assignment placed him as the most senior enlisted logistician and one of only a few Ordnance soldiers to be assigned as command sergeant major of an Army Command (ACOM). He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
, and the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
twice, and was inducted to the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy Hall of Fame.
Military career
Born with the surname Brodeur on October 19, 1961 in Norwich, ConnecticutNorwich, Connecticut
Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
, Elder was raised in San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
and joined the Army through the Delayed Entry Program
Delayed Entry Program
The Delayed Entry Program, also called the Delayed Enlistment Program, is a program where individuals going into active duty in the United States Armed Forces enlist first into the DEP before they ship out to Basic Training, or "boot camp". This is not a legally binding contract, but an agreement...
in December 1981 as an enlisted soldier. He attended Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky and graduated in the Ordnance Corps as an Infantry Fighting Vehicle Mechanic, military occupational specialty 63T. He is a graduate of the US Army Sergeants Major Academy, Class 48, the Command Sergeants Major Force Management Course,
and the Joint Forces Command
United States Joint Forces Command
United States Joint Forces Command was a former Unified Combatant Command of the United States Armed Forces. USJFCOM was a functional command that provided specific services to the military. The last commander was Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno...
KEYSTONE Command Senior Enlisted Leader course, National Defense University
National Defense University
The National Defense University is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level training, education, and the development of national security strategy. It is chartered by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with Navy Vice Admiral...
. He was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Touro University, Cypress, CA.
Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Elder held a wide variety of important enlisted positions, culminating with his assignment as the Command Sergeant Major, U.S. Army Materiel Command, one of three of the US Army Major Commands and second only to the Sergeant Major of the Army
Sergeant Major of the Army
The Sergeant Major of the Army is a unique non-commissioned rank in the United States Army. The holder of this rank is the most senior enlisted member of the Army, unless an Army NCO is serving as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman, when in that case that NCO will be the most senior...
. Other key assignments include: Command Sergeant Major of the 13th Support Command, Fort Hood, Texas; and as the Command Sergeant Major of the multi-component brigade, 3rd Brigade, 75th Division, Fort Riley
Fort Riley
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
, Kansas. He was selected to serve as the Command Sergeant Major of the Transition Team for then incoming US Army Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
George W. Casey, Jr. in 2007. He also served as an Army Test Program Advisory Team (ATPAT) Member for the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences and as a committee member of the US Army Future NCO Workshop held by RAND's Arroyo Center in 1997.
Elder's career initially was technically focused as he served in maintenance positions as an Army mechanic. He earned certification by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence
Automotive Service Excellence
National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence is a professional certification group that certifies professionals in the automotive repair and service industry. It is an independent, non-profit organization created in 1972 in response to consumers wanting the need to distinguish between...
(ASE) in both Automotive and Truck specialties, as the Army had no similar opportunities. He served as a mechanic (2/30th Infantry Battalion), Recovery Vehicle Operator (2/34th Infantry Battalion), Company Motor Sergeant (D Co, 1/36th Infantry), HHC Brigade Motor Sergeant (3rd Brigade, 3rd Armored Division) and as Battalion Motor Sergeant (3/12th Infantry Battalion). He was a Noncommissioned Officer Education System (NCOES) instructor at the Maintenance Department of the US Army Armor School, Fort Knox, Kentucky teaching schematics and troubleshooting techniques for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle turret system. He was selected as a drill instructor for the Armor School's Advanced Individual Training. He went on to serve as a First Sergeant for D Co. 123rd Main Support Battalion in Baumholder, Germany, and as a Battalion Sergeant Major for the 541st Maintenance Battalion, Fort Riley, Kansas. His operational deployment experience included OPERATION Joint Endeavor in Bosnia-Herzegovina and OPERATION Iraqi Freedom in Iraq.
Decorations and Badges
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| U.S. military decorations | |
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Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (United States) The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United... |
| Legion of Merit Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements... (with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster) |
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| Bronze Star Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the... |
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| Meritorious Service Medal Meritorious Service Medal (United States) The Meritorious Service Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969... (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters) |
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| Army Commendation Medal (with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters) | |
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Army Good Conduct Medal |
| Army Achievement Medal (with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters) | |
| U.S. unit awards | |
| Meritorious Unit Commendation Meritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions.... |
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| Army Superior Unit Award | |
| U.S. service (campaign) medals and service and training ribbons | |
| National Defense Service Medal National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower... (with one bronze service star Service star A service star, also referred to as a battle star, campaign star, or engagement star, is an attachment to a United States military decoration which denotes participation in military campaigns or multiple bestowals of the same award. Service stars are typically issued for campaign medals, service... ) |
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Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy... |
| Iraq Campaign Medal Iraq Campaign Medal The Iraq Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States armed forces which was created by Executive Order 13363 of President George W. Bush on November 29, 2004. The Iraq Campaign Medal was designed by the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry.... |
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Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal is a military award of the United States military which was created by Executive Order 13289 of President George W. Bush on March 12, 2003... |
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Armed Forces Service Medal Armed Forces Service Medal The Armed Forces Service Medal is a military award of the United States military which was created on January 11, 1996 by President Bill Clinton under... |
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Volunteer Service Medal Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal The Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal is a military award which was created under Executive Order 12830 by George H. W. Bush on January 9, 1993... |
| NATO Medal NATO Medal The NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization . It is manufactured by Eekelers - Centini, International, of Hemiksem, Belgium... |
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NCO Professional Development Ribbon (with award numeral 4) |
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Army Service Ribbon Army Service Ribbon The Army Service Ribbon is a military decoration of the United States Army that was established by the Secretary of the Army on 10 April 1981 as announced in Department of the Army General Order 15, dated 10 October 1990.... |
| Army Overseas Service Ribbon (with award numeral "4") | |
Drill Sergeant Identification Badge
The Drill Sergeant Identification Badge is a military badge of the United States Army which was first issued on January 15, 1958. It is also nicknamed the "pumpkin" patch due to its appearance when worn in the non-subdued pin-on version and in the color sew-on version worn before insignia was...
Driver and Mechanic Badge
The Driver and Mechanic Badge is a military badge of the United States Army which was first created in July 1942. The badge was originally referred to as the “Motor Vehicle Badge” and adopted its current title of Driver and Mechanic Badge during the Korean War...
13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
The 13th Sustainment Command —the Lucky 13th—is a U.S. Army modular sustainment command which serves as a forward presence for expeditionary operations for a theater, or in support of a regional Combatant Commander...
worn as his Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (US Army)-Former War Time Service (SSI-FWTS).
Overseas Service Bar
An Overseas Service Bar is an accoutrement of the United States Army dress uniform which is displayed as an embroidered gold bar worn horizontally on the right sleeve of the Class A uniform and the Army Service Uniform...
s
Command Sgt. Maj. Elder is also the recipient of the Ordnance Order of Samuel Sharpe and the Transportation Corps Order of Saint Christopher. He was inducted in to the US Army Sergeants Major Academy Hall of Honor and is the first recipient of the 13th Sustainment Command
13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
The 13th Sustainment Command —the Lucky 13th—is a U.S. Army modular sustainment command which serves as a forward presence for expeditionary operations for a theater, or in support of a regional Combatant Commander...
Hall of Fame.
Online Communities
Elder (and later a team of volunteers he headed) spawned a grass-roots revolution in the US Army in 1991 by encouraging noncommissioned officers to use personal computers and the internet to collaborate and share military information and knowledge through the use of a Bulletin Board SystemBulletin board system
A Bulletin Board System, or BBS, is a computer system running software that allows users to connect and log in to the system using a terminal program. Once logged in, a user can perform functions such as uploading and downloading software and data, reading news and bulletins, and exchanging...
military community. He eventually moved the project to the World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
and built a themed portal called the NCO Website for US Army Noncommissioned Officers. The site matured and spun-off two anchor sites Squad-leader.com and Firstsergeant.com, and finally NCOTeam.org. Then Sergeant Major of the Army Jack L. Tilley
Jack L. Tilley
Jack L. Tilley was sworn in as the 12th Sergeant Major of the Army on June 23, 2000 and served until January 15, 2004.-Military career:He entered the U.S. Army in November 1966 and attended basic training at Fort Lewis, Washington, and advanced individual training at Fort Knox, Kentucky...
endorsed the concepts of sites like those for NCOs, and his staff took part in a US Army CIO/G-6 project to acquire the sites for formal adoption. Elder was awarded the first-ever Army Knowledge Management AKM Pioneer Award by the Army Chief Information Officer for his and his team work.
Because of the sites success, and the volunteer teams desire to provide security to the professional discussions, Elder donated the site to the newly formed Battle Command Knowledge System
Battle Command Knowledge System
To better serve the US Army soldier, battle command knowledge systems was subsumed by and the , Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The battle command knowledge system is the change agent for implementing knowledge management capabilities...
in 2005, which was charged with managing online communities for the Army. The site was awarded a Knowledge Management Award in 2007 for excellence in migration.
Author and Researcher
A noted and cited military historian and researcher, Elder is the curator of the NCO Historical Society, a virtual archive of artifacts and documents relating to the history of the U.S. Army noncommissioned officer. He was the general editor and author of the second edition of the book The Sergeants Major of the Army, published by the United States Army Center of Military History. He was consulted with by the authors of Shake and Bake Sergeant, by Dr. Jerry Horton; the Three Meter Zone by Cmd Sgt Major JD Pendry; and Guardians of the Republic (2nd Edition) by Dr. Ernest Fisher. He is the author of a number of monographs on NCO History, along with the book Educating Noncommissioned Officers. He is the author of the informal NCO Induction Ceremony, as described in FM 7-22-7 - Army NCO Noncommissioned Officer Guide, Appendix F. Elder also made the original design proposal for the collar brass and positional colors of the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the ChairmanSenior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman
Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman is a military position within the United States Department of Defense and is the most senior noncommissioned or petty officer overall in the United States Armed Forces...
(SEAC) of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Post military career
Immediately after retirement, Elder worked for Computer Sciences Corporation as a Knowledge Management Consultant. He later formed Topsarge Business Solutions where he now serves as the owner and Chief Consultant. He was selected as a Senior Fellow for the Association of the United States ArmyAssociation of the United States Army
The Association of the United States Army is a private, non-profit organization that acts primarily as an advocacy group for the United States Army. Founded in 1950, it has 125 chapters worldwide. Membership is open to everyone, not just Army personnel, nor is membership mandatory for soldiers,...
in 2009 and is an advisor for the US Army Noncommissioned Officer Museum Association at Fort Bliss, Texas. Elder was inducted in to the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy "Hall of Honor" on August 12, 2010 in El Paso, Texas. He holds a Master Certified Knowledge Management Professional (MKMP)
Professional certification (Business)
A professional certification, trade certification, or professional designation is a designation earned by a person to assure that he/she is qualified to perform a job or task. Certifications, generally, need to be renewed periodically, or may be valid for a specific period of time A professional...
certification awarded on April 11, 2011 by the Knowledge Management Professional Society (KMPro)
Knowledge Management Professional Society
The Knowledge Management Professional Society is a non-profit organization and was founded in 2001 as the main professional body for those working in the broad field of Knowledge Management throughout the world and it is a society created by KM professionals for KM professionals. It is the only...
and is also a KMPro Certified Knowledge Manager (CKM).
Elder is married to the former Gloria D. Reese of Blythe, California
Blythe, California
Blythe is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the "Palo Verde Valley" of the Lower Colorado River Valley region, an agricultural area and part of the Colorado Desert along the Colorado River. Blythe was named after Thomas Blythe, a gold prospector who established primary...
. They have two daughters, Danielle, a first-grade teacher; and Courtney, an ensign (O-1) in the U.S. Coast Guard.