Biographies

Army Command Sergeant Major John Wayne Troxell served as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the senior noncommissioned officer in the U.S. Armed Forces, from Dec. 11, 2015, until his retirement on Dec. 13, 2019. In this role, he served as the principal military advisor to the Chairman and the Secretary of Defense on all matters involving joint and combined total force integration, utilization, health of the force and joint development for enlisted personnel.

CSM Troxell enlisted in the U.S. Army in September 1982 as an armored reconnaissance specialist and graduated One Station Unit Training at Fort Knox, Ky.

CSM Troxell has served in the Army over 30 years in numerous units throughout his career. They include the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Fort Bliss, Texas; two tours in Germany with the 3rd Armored Division, and the 3rd Infantry Division; two tours in the 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. with deployments to Panama, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq; Campbell University ROTC in Buies Creek, N.C.; and the Special Operations Division of Joint Task Force Six (Counter Drug) in El Paso, Texas. He has served as the Command Sergeant Major of the 3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y., and in Iraq; the Regimental Command Sergeant Major of the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment in both Fort Polk, La., and Fort Lewis, Wash.; the Command Sergeant Major of the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, WA., and in Iraq; the 21st Command Sergeant Major of the U.S. Army Armor Center and Fort Knox, Ky.; the Command Sergeant Major of the U.S. Army Accessions Command and Human Resource Center of Excellence at Fort Knox, Ky.; the Command Sergeant Major of I Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.; the Command Sergeant Major of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command in Afghanistan; and most recently as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader of the United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command and United States Forces Korea.

CSM Troxell’s five combat tours of duty include making the combat parachute jump and service in Operation Just Cause in Panama, Operation Desert Shield/Storm, two tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

CSM Troxell’s military education includes Ranger, Airborne, Jumpmaster, Pathfinder, the Primary Leadership Development Course, the Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, the Advanced Noncommissioned Officers Course, and the First Sergeants Course. He is a graduate of Class 51 of the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy and the Command Sergeants Major Course. CSM Troxell is also a graduate of the National Defense University Keystone Joint Command Senior Enlisted Leader Course, the U.S. Army War College Strategic Leader Development Course, the Army Strategic Leader Development Program (Intermediate) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the Army Strategic Leader Development Program (Advanced). Additionally, CSM Troxell is a Fellow at the Asia Pacific Center for Strategic Studies in Honolulu, Hawaii. CSM Troxell’s civilian education includes a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Strategic Leadership from Trident University in California.

CSM Troxell’s personal awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal (2), Legion of Merit (3), Bronze Star Medal (2), Meritorious Service Medal (5), NATO Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with Valor Device and 5 OLC, Army Achievement Medal (6), Army Good Conduct Medal (11), National Defense Service Medal (2), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with Arrowhead Device, Southwest Asia Service Medal (2), Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Support Medal, Korean Defense Medal, NATO Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (5), Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (5), Saudi Arabia-Kuwait Liberation Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, Combat Action Badge, Ranger Tab, Master Parachutist Badge with Bronze Service Star Device (Combat Jump), Pathfinder Badge, Driver’s Badge, and the Meritorious Unit Citation.

CSM Troxell is married to the former Sandra Jimenez, his wife of 32 years from El Paso, Texas. They have three adult sons and two grandchildren.