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Ncohistory is the Nom de Guerre for Dan Elder, webmaster of the site http://www.ncohistory.com [1]
Command Sergeant Major (Retired) Daniel K. Elder is a native of San Bernardino, Calif. He joined the Army in December 1981 and attended Initial Entry Training at Fort Knox, Ky., graduating as an Infantry Fighting Vehicle mechanic.
Command Sgt. Maj. Elder has served duties as mechanic, recovery vehicle operator, squad leader, maintenance team chief, senior instructor, senior drill sergeant, battalion and brigade motor sergeant, first sergeant, NCOES lesson developer, depot sergeant major and as both a battalion and brigade sergeant major. His served with the 13th Corps Support Command at Fort Hood, Texas and Iraq, before his selection as the 12th command sergeant major for the U.S. Army Materiel Command, Fort Belvoir, Va.
His overseas assignments include 2/30th Infantry Battalion, Schweinfurt, Germany; 1/36th Infantry Battalion and 3rd Brigade, 3rd Armor Division, Friedberg, Germany; 3/12th Infantry Battalion and D/123rd Main Support Battalion, Baumholder, Germany. In addition, he has deployed as part of Operation Joint Endeavor, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia; and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq. Stateside assignments include 2/34th Infantry Battalion, Fort Stewart; Ga.; 6/12th Cavalry Squadron and B Company. (Ordnance) 1/81st Armor Battalion, Fort Knox, Ky.; DOTE & A Company, U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Academy, Fort Bliss, Texas; Letterkenny Army Depot, Chambersburg, Pa.; 541st Maintenance Battalion, Fort Riley, Kan.; 3rd Brigade, 75th Div, Fort Riley, Kan.; 13th Corps Support Command, Fort Hood, Texas; and currently the CSM for the U.S. Army Materiel Command, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
Command Sgt. Maj. Elder's military and civilian education include: the Primary Leadership Development Course and the Primary Technical Course; Basic and Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Courses; Instructor and Small Group Instructor Courses; Drill Sergeant School; and the Garrison Sergeants Major Course. He is a graduate of the Sergeants Major course, the Command Sergeants Major course the Command Sergeants Major Force Management course, and the Keystone Command Senior Enlisted Leader course. He earned an associate's degree from Central Texas College in Killeen, Texas.
His awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters; the Army Commendation medal with five oak leaf clusters; the Army Achievement Medal with six oak leaf clusters; the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; the Iraq Campaign Medal; the NATO Medal; the Mechanic's Badge; the Drill Sergeant Identification Badge, and several other service medals and ribbons. Command Sgt. Maj. Elder is also the recipient of the Ordnance Order of Samuel Sharpe.
Command Sgt. Maj. Elder served as a panel member for the Future Noncommissioned Workshop Apr-May 1997, and was the General Editor for the book [Sergeants Major of the Army], published by the US Army Center for Military History. He assisted Dr. Ernest Fisher, author of Guardians of the Republic in revising his book for its 2001 second printing. He has reviewed, researched, or provided background information on numerous books, articles and pamphlets. His works are regularly quoted and serve as source for many papers and histories.
Elder is an author of many works relating to the history of the US Army Noncommissioned Officer and is the founder of the original NCO Website and its predecessors Squad-Leader.com and FirstSergeant.com. Elder was awarded the first-ever Army Knowledge Management Pioneer Award in August 2003 by the Army CIO/G-6 for mentoring, teaching and coaching noncommissioned officers.