Command Sergeant Major John D. Gipe

Senior Enlisted Advisor
Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs

Command Sergeant Major John D. Gipe, ARNG, is the ninth Senior Enlisted Advisor assigned to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs. He is responsible for advising the Assistant Secretary and staff on enlisted affairs of the 1.2 million military personnel of the Army and Air National Guard, and the reserves of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard. He also serves as the Chairman of the Department of Defense Reserve Component Senior Enlisted Advisory Council.

Prior to this assignment, Sergeant Major Gipe served as the Command Sergeant Major of the Army National Guard (ARNG) from June, 2005 through July, 2009. There he served as the principle advisor to the Director of the ARNG regarding Training, Personnel Policy and Family Programs for the 328,000 Enlisted Soldiers of the Army National Guard and their Families.

From January thru May 2005, Sergeant Major Gipe served a short tour as the senior enlisted liaison for the National Guard on the Coalition Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC) staff of ARCENT. Prior to this, from May 2002 until his selection as the Command Sergeant Major of the Army National Guard, Sergeant Major Gipe served as the State Command Sergeant Major of the Kentucky Army National Guard.

Sergeant Major Gipe began his military career as a Cavalry Scout and served the first nineteen years of his military career in a traditional reserve component status. During this period he was selected for positions of increasing responsibility, including having served as the Command Sergeant Major of the 238th Regiment.

Sergeant Major Gipe’s military education culminated with his graduation from the U.S. Army Sergeant’s Major Academy in 2002 and the Keystone Course in 2006. His military awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, the Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal and the Kentucky Distinguished Service Medal.

Sergeant Major Gipe is a life member of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS) and the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) and is an annual member of several other professional organizations.

Sergeant Major Gipe is currently on a military leave of absence from CSX Railroad where he is an engineer.