Who is the senior enlisted advisor to a battalion?

• A. First Sergeant
• B. Command Sergeant Major (CSM)
• C. Sergeant Major
• D. Sergeant First Class

Answer: (B)

The senior enlisted advisor to a battalion is the Command Sergeant Major. In a battalion, the commander (usually a lieutenant colonel) relies on the Command Sergeant Major as the top enlisted leader to advise on soldier readiness, training, discipline, morale, and welfare. The CSM coordinates with the company-level First Sergeants and the battalion staff to ensure standards and policies are applied across the unit, and to represent enlisted concerns to the commander. A First Sergeant is the senior noncommissioned officer of a company, not the battalion as a whole. A Sergeant Major is a senior NCO who may serve at higher echelons, but the battalion’s senior enlisted adviser role is specifically filled by the Command Sergeant Major. A Sergeant First Class is a mid-level NCO, not the battalion’s top enlisted adviser.