The senior enlisted leader for the U.S. Army Forces Command has been selected to be the next sergeant major of the Army.

Command Sgt. Maj. Michael A. Grinston will succeed Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey, who is retiring after more than four years as the Army’s top enlisted leader.

Grinston, who has been at FORSCOM since 2017, is slated to become the 16th sergeant major of the Army on Aug. 16.

"I am honored to have the opportunity to continue to serve the great Soldiers and families of the United States Army," Grinston said in a statement. 

Army Secretary Mark T. Esper said he looks forward to working with Grinston.

"The Army is in the midst of a renaissance, and he is a great choice to carry on our readiness, modernization and reform efforts," Esper said in a statement.

Before FORSCOM, Grinston served as the command sergeant major of I Corps and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

As a senior NCO, Grinston has often talked about how he is a voice for soldiers.

“One of my most important roles as the FORSCOM command sergeant major is to be the voice of the soldiers,” Grinston said during a January troop visit to Joint Base Lewis-McChord. “The only way I can do that is by talking to the enlisted soldiers and knowing what they do and the problems they face on a daily basis.”

He also seeks to make sure NCOs feel empowered to take the initiative and reinforce the importance of teaching basic soldier skills at the lowest levels, according to an Army news story from his troop visit.

“My goal is to make sure our NCOs feel comfortable that the leadership of the Army will support them in what they do,” Grinston said, according to the Army news story. “I want these leaders to look at every situation as an opportunity to better our Army.”

A native of Jasper, Alabama, Grinston joined the Army in October 1987 as a cannon crew member. The career artilleryman has served at every leadership level, with assignments at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Schweinfurt, Germany, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and Vicenza, Italy.

Grinston also served as command sergeant major of the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment at Fort Drum, New York; the 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Baumholder, Germany; the 4th BCT, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell; and the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas.

He has deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq, and twice each to support Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. His deployments also include Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm and Kosovo.

Grinston’s awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit and five Bronze Stars, two of them with the V device. He has earned the Ranger tab, Master Parachutist badge, Air Assault badge, Drill Sergeant identification badge and Combat Action Badge.

"Command Sgt. Maj. Grinston is a soldier’s soldier who brings a wealth of operational experience to the position," said retired Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth O. Preston, vice president for NCO and Soldier Programs at the Association of the U.S. Army. "He has walked in the footsteps of soldiers from all components across the Regular Army, Army National Guard and the Army Reserve."