State Command Sgt. Maj. James L. Campbell, Jr.
CSM Campbell currently serves as the 9th State Command Sergeant Major and Command Senior Enlisted Leader for the Massachusetts National Guard. He enlisted in the Massachusetts Army National Guard in January 1982 and completed basic training at Fort Jackson, SC followed by advanced individual training at Fort Eustis, VA where he was the Honor Graduate and awarded the MOS 68B, Aircraft Powerplant Repairer. CSM Campbell was selected and promoted to the rank of Sergeant Major on 01 December 2005. Prior to his selection as the State CSEL, CSM Campbell served as the Program Manager for Partner Nation Enlisted Leader Professional Development for the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility. His other assignments include Senior Instructor in the Department of Joint, Interagency, Intergovernmental, and Multinational Operations at the Sergeants Major Academy where he was appointed an Assistant Professor by the Command and General Staff College. He served as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the DCG, Army National Guard at US Army Pacific as well as service as a brigade-level Command Sergeant Major with the 79th Troop Command (Homeland Security) that counted two joint organizations among its subordinate units, the Massachusetts CERF-P, and the 1st Civil Support Team. He also served as a battalion command sergeant major for five years with the 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment. During that time, he deployed in support of OIF/OND and served as the task force sergeant major for an aviation task force with elements from the Army National Guard, the Army Reserve, and the US Navy. CSM Campbell had one other deployment in support of OIF as the first sergeant for an aviation maintenance company and served as the Reset Manager for the Massachusetts Army National Guard G4, Surface Maintenance Office.
CSM Campbell’s awards include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Achievement Medal (1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster), the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Army Superior Unit, and numerous other awards. He has earned the Army Senior Instructor Badge, the Master Aviation Badge, the Driver Badge, and is also a recipient of the Honorable Order of Saint Michael.
CSM Campbell is a graduate of the National Defense University Keystone Command Senior Enlisted Leader Course, the Nominative Leader Course, and is a Fellow at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Worcester State University and a Master of Education in Lifelong Learning and Adult Education from The Pennsylvania State University. He also holds a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Distance Education from Penn State. In his civilian career he has over 30 years of experience in security and investigations including positions as the Regional Vice President of Security and Investigations for a major retailer and Director of Security for a regional hospital in Massachusetts.
MILITARY ASSIGNMENTS:
JUN 22 – Present 9th State Command Sergeant Major/Command Senior Enlisted Leader, Massachusetts National Guard
JUL 21 – JUN 22 Partner Nation Enlisted Leader Professional Development, U.S. Southern Command
JUL 18-JUL 21 Senior Instructor, DJIIMO Sergeants Major Academy
JUL 15-JUL 18 Senior Enlisted Advisor, National Guard US Army Pacific
JAN 14-JUL15 Command Sergeant Major, 79th Troop Command
OCT 08-JAN 14 Command Sergeant Major, 3-126 AVN
JAN 07-OCT 08 Aircraft Maintenance Senior Sergeant, JFHQ-Massachusetts
SEP 04-JAN 07 First Sergeant, Company D, 3-126 AVN
OCT 02-SEP 04 First Sergeant, Company C, 3-126 AVN
OCT 00-OCT 02 Aircraft Production Control NCO, Company F, 126th AVN OCT
95-OCT 00 Platoon Sergeant, Allied Trades, Company F, 126th AVN JAN 99-
OCT 95 Aircraft Powerplant Repair Supervisor, Company F, 126th AVN SEP
86-JAN 99 Aircraft Powerplant Repairer, Company F, 126th AVN
JAN 82-SEP 86 Aircraft Powerplant Repairer, Company E, 26th AVN, 26th ID
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
• Legion of Merit
• Bronze Star Medal
• Defense Meritorious Service Medal
• Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
• Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
• Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
• Massachusetts Service Medal with Gold Eagle Device
• Massachusetts Defense Expeditionary Ribbon
• Massachusetts Defense Service Ribbon
EFFECTIVE DATE OF KEY PROMOTIONS/APPOINTMENTS:
February 1985 - SERGEANT
April 1999 - STAFF SERGEANT
May 1996 - SERGEANT FIRST CLASS
July 2000 - MASTER SERGEANT
October 2002 - FIRST SERGEANT
December 2005 - SERGEANT MAJOR
October 2008 - COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION:
Master of Education, The Pennsylvania State University
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate, Distance Education, The Pennsylvania State University
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration Worcester State University
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS:
Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States Massachusetts
National Guard Enlisted Association
Association of the United States Army
Army Aviation Association of America
Penn State Alumni Association
Worcester State University Alumni Association
(Current as of July 2022)