GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The 344th Military Intelligence Battalion welcomed a new Command Sgt. Maj. here, July 24.
Command Sgt. Maj. Jason Lauer, 344th MI BN command sgt. maj., serves as the senior enlisted advisor to the 344th MI BN commander.
Much like an Air Force Chief Master Sgt. a Command Sgt. Maj. is in the pay grade of E-9. Some differences in Army rank include the fact that at three different points in their structure they split where they may hold a different rank for a pay grade.
When a Soldier reaches the pay grade of E-4 he or she can be a corporal or a specialist. A specialist is focused on technical job proficiency while a corporal becomes a junior non-commissioned officer. NCOs are given more responsibility and are expected to lead other Soldiers of lesser rank.
“As non-commissioned officers it is our job to take care of people,” said Lauer. “As you rise in the ranks, your sphere of influence grows. I place the most emphasis on taking care of people, and I use military and Army systems and processes in order to accomplish that.”
The second time where there are multiple ranks for the same pay grade in the Army is when a Soldier makes E-8. They may be a Master Sgt. or perhaps a 1st Sgt. in this instance a Master Sgt. is a senior enlisted advisor in a staff capacity, but a 1st Sgt. takes on the primary leadership role for a company.
Finally there is a split when a Soldier reaches the E-9 pay grade. At this point they may be either a Sgt. Maj. or a Command Sgt. Maj. The main difference is serving in either a staff position or being responsible for a battalion- size unit as a whole.
Within the entire Army military intelligence corps only about one percent will serve in a Command Sgt. Maj. position.
“It’s overwhelming to think about the small amount of individuals who make it to this rank,” said Lauer. “So few of us are afforded the opportunity to serve in this position. This position doesn’t exist for me, I fill this position to be able to serve and help the Soldiers and sister services around me in the Goodfellow joint force family.”