#2 — A Command Sergeant Major’s Thoughts

Destroyer Self-Study Program

Originally posted on 18 July 2022

Team,

The reading below the cut line is a compilation of lessons from an Army legend and no stranger to the Fort Benning community. A plankholder in the 75th Ranger Regiment Reconnaissance Detachment, CSM (Ret.) Jeff Mellinger was the last continuously serving draftee when he retired as the Army Materiel Command’s Command Sergeant Major in 2011. The lessons in the attachment are drawn from over 40 years of leadership experience. I first met CSM Mellinger in Mosul in 2005 when he was the MNF-I Command Sergeant Major. He has been a mentor of mine ever since.

The list of reflections in this document are framed from a lifetime of learning and experiencing. He has added to this list throughout the years and contributed to the improvement of countless leaders throughout our force. If our legacy is the impact we have upon others, then it’s safe to say CSM Mellinger’s impact and legacy will extend well into the future of our force with his effect upon innumerable leaders who, in turn, impact those with whom they serve. When you think of the length of time and number of people CSM Mellinger has impacted in the past half-century and how the lessons he has taught have improved so many leaders, his legacy of leadership is strong and has guided generations of leaders along the path in the relentless pursuit for better.